‘Honour young martyr’s greatest sacrifice for nation’: Punjab CM Mann urges PM Modi to name Halwara airport after Kartar Singh Sarabha

The airport at a glance

The PM also unveiled the new name of the Adampur airport in Jalandhar as as Sri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji Airport. Modi, who reached Adampur from Delhi following the presentation of the Union Budget in Parliament, later visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan on the occasion of the 649th birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas.

Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, Union Ministers of State Murlidhar Mohol and Ravneet Singh Bittu, and Mann were present at the Halwara airport when PM inaugurated the terminal building.

The civil enclave is located in Aitiana village where 162 acres of land was acquired from 272 farmers for the project. The villagers have for long been urging the authorities that it be named Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Airport, Aitiana — a demand reiterated by Mann.

Addressing the gathering, Mann urged the Centre to honour the Ghadhar revolutionary’s supreme sacrifice, noting that he laid down his life for the country at the age of 19 and inspired other revolutionaries, including Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

Highlighting the importance of Halwara Airport, Mann said it has played a key role in strategic operations and thanked the Indian Armed Forces for their contribution in developing the terminal.

Mann in discussion with both union ministers at Halwara, Sunday. (Express photo)

“This is also the soil of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, hanged by the British while fighting for country’s freedom. He was 18 when he went to the University of Berkeley, California, US to become a pilot, and where he met Ghadharites and became a revolutionary. He was 19 when he was hanged. Shaheed Bhagat Singh idolized Sarabha and kept his photo in his pocket,” said Mann.

The legendary freedom fighter was a native of Ludhiana’s Sarabha village.

Mann added that “Punjab will be elated and grateful” if the Centre passes the proposal to name Halwara airport after Sarabha. “We already have three airports named after Gurus and martyrs — Sri Guru Ramdass International Airport in Amritsar, Sri Guru Ravidas Maharaj Ji Airport in Adampur, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Airport in Mohali,” he said, adding Halwara too should be named on similar lines.

He recalled that the Punjab Vidhan Sabha had unanimously passed a resolution on March 22, 2023, urging the Centre to name the Halwara airport after Sarabha.

Mann also appealed to the Centre to further strengthen international connectivity from Mohali Airport, saying improved air links were crucial for Punjab’s economic growth.

Bittu, the Union MoS for Railways and Food Processing Industries too said that Halwara airport should be named after Sarabha. He also urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to begin cargo operations at Halwara airport, saying there is a strong demand for air cargo services in the region. He said that the airport would be handling far more passenger and cargo traffic than expected, given Ludhiana’s strong industrial base.

PM Modi during virtual inauguration of Halwara airport from Adampur.

“At present, industrialists from this region have to depend on Amritsar or Chandigarh airports for cargo movement. Halwara Airport will cater to the entire industrial belt and significantly reduce logistics costs,” he said.

Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said the operationalisation of the airport was the result of integrated efforts by multiple governments. He said the land for the civil terminal was acquired during the Congress regime.

Asked why he did not attend its inauguration ceremony, he said, as the local MP he expected a “respectful and unconditional invitation and not with a condition that he will not be allowed to speak”.

“I am happy as an MP that the long pending demand of my people has been fulfilled and I thank and congratulate everyone concerned”, he said.

Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain said, “The terminal would cater to one domestic flight to Delhi and back, and it will be operated by Air India. We have made all the required preparations for the operations to commence”.

Punjab Cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora had earlier said that Air India has received required permissions from the IAF to operate the flight from Halwara, and the flights are expected to commence from the first week of March.