News Edition 24 Desk: Guwahati: The Modi government at the Centre had on August 6 this year renamed the Khel Ratna Award named after former PM Rajiv Gandhi after Major Dhyan Chand. Now, the Himanta Sarma Government of Assam has taken a similar decision. The Himanta Biswa Sarma government has decided to remove Rajiv Gandhi’s name from one of the major national parks in the state. During the weekly cabinet meeting held in Guwahati, the state government has renamed Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park as Orang National Park.
Several organizations had demanded the state government over this. In view of this, the Assam Cabinet decided to remove Rajiv Gandhi as the Orang National Park. The Forest Protection Committee, an organization working in the field of nature in the state, submitted a memorandum to CM Sarma last month seeking renaming of Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park as Orang National Park. At the same time, tribals and tea tribes living in the area were also demanding the removal of Rajiv Gandhi’s name. Located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river in Darang, Udalguri, and Sonitpur districts, the national park is famous for wild animals like Indian rhinos, Royal Bengal Tiger, Pygmy Hog, Wild Elephant, Wild Buffalo. Spread over an area of 79.28 square kilometers, the park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1985. But, later, in 1999, it was upgraded to a National Park.
It may be mentioned that Orang Wildlife Sanctuary was originally named after former PM Rajiv Gandhi in 1992. However, it was strongly opposed by the public during that time, after which it was stopped. But, after it was declared a national park in 1999, the then Tarun Gogoi-led Congress Government forcibly renamed it Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park in 2001.