Karnataka people want Hubballi Airport to be named after Da Re Bendre

The people have warned of huge protests if the state government goes ahead in naming the Hubballi airport after Sangolli Rayanna, and not Da Ra Bendre, the tallest litterateur and poet from the region.

The naming of airports in Karnataka has come to the fore again and has set some tempers high in socio-cultural and political circles.

While a section of the society has welcomed the government’s decision of naming the airports in tier-II cities, many have raised objections saying that the famous personalities of the region have been forgotten by the government.

The government has proposed to name the Hubballi Airport after Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna, the most trusted lieutenant of Kittur Rani Chennamma. But, this has been flayed by the writers and those associated with culture here.

Many here state that Sangolli Rayanna was nowhere connected with the Dharwad region. He was just a lieutenant of Kittur Rani Chennamma, and was restricted to Belagavi region. When they had decided to name the Belagavi airport after Kittur Rani Chennamma, there was no need to name the Hubballi airport after her lieutenant.

The people here have warned of huge protests if the state government goes ahead in naming the Hubballi airport after Sangolli Rayanna, and not Da Ra Bendre, the tallest litterateur and poet from the region.

Tallest literary figure

According to the people here, Dharwad has carved a niche for itself in the field of music, literature, and education, and hence, the airport should be named after personalities from these fields as has been done with the Shivamogga airport by naming it after Kuvempu.

Da Ra Bendre, who has been conferred with highest literary honour Jnanpith, has contributed immensely for the growth of Kannada poetry and literature, and getting a strong recognition for Dharwad globally.

His contributions to the Kannada literature world are widely read by the people. He is one of the greatest poets in the history of Kannada literature. But, Bendre has not got any recognition like Kuvempu, and other poets.

Bendre sidelined

People of Dharwad district, including the twin cities, have been demanding the State government to name the Hubballi Airport after great poet Da Ra Bendre like Shivamogga Airport, which has been named after another great poet Kuvempu.

People and litterateurs here feel that Sangolli Rayanna’s contributions are immense in the fight of Kittur Rani Chennamma with the British. But, nowhere in the history of Karnataka, Bendre has been given a place of recognition.

The State government has been doing injustice with Bendre and this is not acceptable. The government should rethink and name Hubballi Airport after Bendre, the people feel.

Meanwhile, some social media users have started a campaign to name Hubballi Airport after Da Ra Bendre, for which many people have been supporting this campaign, and forcing the government and its ministers to name the airport after Bendre.