Rename Halwara Airport After Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann

Raikot,   (Asian independent)   Gurbhinder Guri :- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday strongly urged the Central Government to name the Halwara International Airport in Ludhiana after the great revolutionary martyr Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha. Speaking at the inauguration of the new terminal building of the airport, the Chief Minister said that this would be the most fitting tribute to a young martyr who sacrificed his life for the country’s freedom. On this occasion, the Chief Minister also appealed to the Central Government to start more international flights from Mohali International Airport. He said that Punjab is moving forward by preserving its spiritual and revolutionary heritage along with modern infrastructural development. During the virtual inauguration of the airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, the Chief Minister said, “Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha laid down his life for Mother India at the tender age of just 19. His sacrifice inspired millions of young people to rise against British rule. Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh also considered him his ideal.” The Chief Minister said that Shaheed Sarabha was a resident of the Halwara region and had studied in the field of aviation at the University of Berkeley, but he dedicated his entire future to the freedom of the nation. “Punjab is the land of Gurus, saints, great souls, and martyrs. Every grain of this soil is enriched with their sacrifices,” he said. Bhagwant Singh Mann stated that if Halwara Airport is named after Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, then out of Punjab’s four airports, two will be named after Gurus and two after martyrs. “Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport and Adampur’s Sri Guru Ravidas Maharaj Jee Airport are named after Gurus, while Mohali’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh Airport and Halwara’s Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Airport will preserve the memory of our martyrs,” he said. Extending greetings to the people on the occasion of Guru Ravidas Ji’s Prakash Purab, the Chief Minister said it is a matter of pride that Adampur Airport has been named after the great saint of the Bhakti movement, Sri Guru Ravidas Maharaj Ji. He added that Guru Ravidas Ji’s vision of an egalitarian and harmonious society forms the basis of the Punjab Government’s policies. Speaking about the strategic importance of Halwara Airport, the Chief Minister said that the airport has been used by the Indian Army during several crucial periods. He thanked the Indian Armed Forces for constructing the terminal building and said that discussions would soon be held with the Central Government to increase flights from here. The Chief Minister recalled that on March 22, 2023, the Punjab Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the Central Government to name Halwara International Airport after Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha. “As an active leader of the Ghadar Party, Shaheed Sarabha fought the freedom struggle both abroad and within the country. Naming an airport after him will be our humble tribute,” he said. In conclusion, the Chief Minister said that naming Mohali Airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh was also the result of the persistent efforts of the Punjab Government.

“By naming institutions after our martyrs and Gurus, we want to inspire the youth towards selfless service and dedication to the nation,” Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said. Meanwhile, during the inauguration ceremony of Halwara Airport, passes were issued to BJP and AAP leaders and workers, but journalists who had arrived to cover the event were not allowed to attend the ceremony. The reason behind this could not be ascertained.