Tezpur Airport to be Renamed in Honor of Cultural Icons

Tezpur Airport Gets a New Name

Guwahati, June 9: On Monday, Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared that Tezpur Airport will be renamed Jyoti-Bishnu Airport, paying tribute to two of the state's most esteemed cultural figures — Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and Bishnu Prasad Rabha.

This announcement was made during Sarma's speech in the Assembly, where he addressed the persistent requests from Tezpur's residents to honor Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika by naming the airport after him.

Recognizing the cultural importance of Tezpur and the feelings of its citizens, Sarma stated that the government intends to celebrate the town by naming the airport after Agarwala and Rabha, who were pivotal in Assam's literary and cultural revival.

“I assure the people of Tezpur that we will soon present the proposal to rename Tezpur Airport as Jyoti-Bishnu Airport in the Assembly,” he confirmed.

He elaborated on the decision to name Dibrugarh Airport after Dr. Hazarika, saying, “Assam is home to two Bharat Ratnas — Bhupen Hazarika and the first Chief Minister, Gopinath Bordoloi. We have resolved to name the airports in the state's two capitals — Guwahati and Dibrugarh — in their honor.”

Previously, on May 19, there was significant public discontent in Tezpur following the Chief Minister's announcement that Dibrugarh Airport would bear Hazarika's name, overlooking Tezpur — a town closely linked to the legendary artist, where residents had fervently requested the airport to be named after him.

A public meeting was convened at Tezpur Sahitya Sabha Bhawan, organized by senior journalist and social activist Manoj Borah, where various social groups voiced their dissatisfaction over what they perceived as the State and Centre's neglect of a 15-year-old demand.

However, today's announcement is expected to provide some relief to the people of Tezpur.