Assam government's decision to rename Rupsi Airport faces severe backlash

The Assam cabinet decided on July 31 to rename the historically significant Rupsi Airport in honour of Bodo social reformer Gurudev Kalicharan Brahma. However, this decision has sparked controversy, with eight organisations protesting at the Rupsi Airport gate on Friday (August 2).

 

Rupsi Airport, located in the extreme western part of Assam, is not only historically significant but also the second-largest airport in Asia. The origins of Rupsi Airport can be traced back to the unified Goalpara district, which included the three civic subdivisions of Dhubri, Goalpara, and Kokrajhar, during the last reign of Rupshi Zamindar of the Koch dynasty. 

 

The airport area once consisted of 7200 bighas of tea gardens owned by the former Rupshi Zamindar, Jatindra Narayan Choudhury.

 

Speaking with the media, social activist Raghu Ranjan Bepari highlighted the airport’s historical significance. He recounted how Jatindra Narayan Choudhury donated the land to the British government during World War II, likely between 1927 and 1928. It took a multinational company nine turbulent years to construct the airstrip, which was completed in 1939, stretching 1.9 kilometers.

 

A notable feature of the Rupshi airfield was its 52 submerged underground brick dwellings or bunkers, built into the forest and covered by tree canopies. This design allowed troops to conceal fighter jets with ease during World War II.

 

The name "Rupsi" originated from "Rupashi Devi," the wife of Zamindar Jatindra Narayan Choudhury. Bepari emphasised that renaming the airport would insult Rupashi Devi, the Koch dynasty's Zamindar, and the Koch Rajbangshi tribe's people.

 

After India's independence, the airport had limited usage, with small aircraft operating flights to Calcutta in the 1955-1956 period. The airport ceased operations in 1985 but was reopened in 2021. Unfortunately, operations stopped again two years later.

 

Despite its historic ties to the Koch dynasty and the fact that more than 1000 bighas were donated by Zamindar Jatindra Narayan Choudhury, much of the land now lies within a reserved forest. Critics argue that the decision to rename the airport disregards its historical and sentimental value.