ITANAGAR, Oct 29: The Hollongi Indigenous Peoples Forum decided to go for two days bandh call at Hollongi area from 7th and 8th November next in supports of their demand renaming of “Donyi Polo Airport, Hollongi” instead of “Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar”.
Addressing here at Arunachal Press club today Antony Yowa, Vice Chairman, Hollongi Indigenous Peoples Forum informed, we are repeatedly submitting and appealing to the state government to correct the Donyi Polo Airport, Hollongi instead of Donyi Polo airport, Itanagar. The airport is located at Hollongi, under Balijan Circle of Papum Pare district and 14th ST Assembly. Whereas Itanagar is capital City of state is under 13 ST Assembly constituency and also Separate District Administration.
How can the state government change the name of that particular location?
We are also welcoming the renaming of Greenfield Airport Hollongi with indigenous name “Donyi Polo Airport”, except the prefixed word Itanagar.
Earlier in the month of June we had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Pema Khnadu through our Local MLA Tana Hali Tara, but ignoring our appeal the state Cabinet passed the name as Donyi Polo Airport , Itanagar, which is hearted the sentiments, emotions of local public especially who donated their land in very low cost for Airport. Who expects that we lose our agricultural land but our Hollongi name will remain in the nation.
Because the name Hollongi is our pride and identity which has attached spiritual endowment from the time of our fore-father’s day, time immemorial and to protect the land of Hollongi, indigenous peoples sacrificed lots. And we had also conducted mass dharna at Airport approach road and appealed to the government but they were not ready to listen to the voice of indigenous people.
Therefore we again appeal to the State Government to retake the cabinet’s decision considering the sentiments of the localities who sought to rename Donyi Polo Airport, Hollongi by curving out the word Itanagar immediately.
And our democratic movement will continue till the state government fulfills our demand, and our next democratic movement will be surrendering our 14 Doimukh ST Assembly constituency Voter ID card and we will transfer our name to 13th ST Assembly Constituency.
