Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the airport would be rechristened after Bhagat Singh as an honour to the independence warrior during his “Mann Ki Baat” radio address on September 25, 2022
Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this, the international airport in Chandigarh was designated Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport on September 28, 2022. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Finance Minister, congratulated the Prime Minister for choosing to rename the airport in honour of the illustrious freedom fighter. At the same time, she was the guest of honour at a ceremony at the airport.
Mentioned below are the names of various politicians and renowned personalities both from Haryana and Punjab who attended the ceremony:
- The Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann
- Union Minister Gen. (Retd.) V.K. Singh
- Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya
- Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij,
- Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala,
- Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher
- Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit
Chief Guest of the Ceremony: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
On September 28, 2022, people commemorated the freedom fighter’s 115th birthday. Sitharaman expressed her gratitude for being invited to the ceremony during her speech. She stated, “Through this small gesture, we are remembering the immense sacrifice the young people like Shaheed Bhagat Singh made during the freedom struggle.”We are fortunate to dedicate ourselves to at least remembering the great sacrifice.”
Sitharaman continued by expressing her gratitude for how the governments of Punjab and Haryana were able to put their rivalry aside and work together on the name change.
Moreover, she also discussed Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-sufficient India) and the goal of making the country an advanced nation by 2047, on its 100th anniversary of independence. “We should be known as a developed country by 2047,” she said.
Sitharaman noted that India ranked 11th regarding financial strength ten years ago but has since ascended to fifth place, passing the United Kingdom.
Chief Minister’s Address
Mann complimented Modi for designating the airport in honour of Bhagat Singh. He claimed that the request to rename the airport after Bhagat Singh had been languishing for some time.
Mann mentioned that a letter was written to the Civil Aviation Ministry to rebrand the airport after his recent meeting with Haryana’s deputy chief minister, Dushyant Chautala, about the matter. Well before the freedom fighter’s anniversary celebration on September 28, he remembered, it was urged that the statement be made.
According to Mann, Bhagat Singh is regarded not just for his bravery but also for his socialist ideology and struggle against tyranny. He also stated that Bhagat Singh’s life and doctrine will always serve as an inspiration to the younger populations to serve the country with patriotic fervour.
To assist the Punjabi diaspora worldwide, Mann asked the Center to initiate additional foreign flights via the airport at the time. He looked for nonstop flights from Chandigarh airport to England, Australia, San Francisco, New York, Canada, and other locations. He asserted that passengers from neighbouring countries would also profit from these trips.
Dispute between Haryana and Punjab
Earlier, a dispute over the airport’s name had broken out. The airport must be rechristened as “Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali,” as the Government of Punjab proposed in 2017. The Haryana government expressed reservations over the usage of Mohali but did not raise objections to the utilization of Bhagat Singh’s name.
