Name Mysore Airport after Nalwadi

Activists demand to rename all seven airports in Karnataka after eminent personalities of the region

Mysore/Mysuru: Amidst talks about the extension of the runway at the Mysore Airport, a group of activists under the banner of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Kendra Samithi, Bengaluru and Akhila Bharatha Vokkaliga Mahasabha, Mysuru have demanded the Airport be named after Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Along with the renaming of Mysore Airport, they have also called for renaming other airports in Karnataka — Shivamogga Airport after Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, Hassan Airport as H.D. Deve Gowda (former PM) Airport, Mangaluru Airport after Nadoja Kayyar Kinhanna Rai, Kalaburagi Airport after Jagadjyothi Basavanna, Hubballi Airport after Kittur Rani Chennamma and Belagavi Airport after Sangolli Rayanna.

Addressing a press meet at Patrakarthara Bhavan in city yesterday, Hon. President of Akhila Karnataka Vokkaliga Mahasabha and writer C.P. Krishnakumar said that the Civil Aviation Ministry would be requested to consider their demand to rename the airports recognising their contributions to the region.

It is apt to name the Mysore Airport after Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar as the late ruler has contributed immensely to the development of the region. Likewise, Rashtrakavi Kuvempu rose to national fame from Shivamogga and if Airports are named after such eminent personalities, their fame would be etched in the memory of people and will also get international recognition, he claimed.

He said that in the past, representations were sent to the Centre which was signed by eminent personalities from Karnataka but the demand was not considered. The State Government must exert pressure to consider the demand, Krishnakumar added.

Those who had signed the representation earlier included former VC D. Javaregowda, actress B. Saroja Devi, Gavisiddeshwara Swamiji of Koppal Gavisiddeshwara Mutt, Jnanpith awardee Chandrashekara Kambar, littérateurs Chandrashekar Patil, Kum Veerabhadrappa, Prof. G.S. Siddalingaiah, B.T. Lalitha Nayak, Nadoja Chennaveera Kanavi, former Ministers Leeladevi R. Prasad, Rani Satish, Dinesh Gundurao, G.T. Devegowda and B.L. Shankar, former MLAs Vasu and K.S. Puttannaiah. “Over 30 eminent personalities had signed the representation to the Centre but the demand has not been met so far,” he said.

Karnataka Vokkaligara Sangha Director C.G. Gangadhar, Akhila Karnataka Vokkaliga Mahasabha State President Bettegowda, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Pratishtana Trustee A.J. Devaraju, Karnataka Sena Pade District President Tejesh Lokeshgowda and President of Mysuru and Chamarajanagar Vokkaligara Sangha C. Mariswamy were present.

This post was published on April 29, 2022 6:42 pm