This Kolkata Airport mosque relocation issue is again getting heated,and honestly,it is not small thing ah . On one side there is airport expansion,safety and flight operations,and on other side there is mosque which is over 130 years old.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has now openly supported proposed relocation of historic mosque located near secondary runway of Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport . BJP MLA Sourav Sikdar said airport development should get priority and stated that "religion should not become an obstacle to development and infrastructure expansion."
And that line itself will obviously create strong reactions,because whenever religion and public projects come in same discussion,things rarely stay simple .
According to Sikdar,mosque’s location is creating safety and operational concerns . In his statement to IANS,he said it also complicates installation of modern aviation systems needed for landings during dense winter fog. The mosque is reportedly just 165 meters from secondary runway,which is why aviation authorities are worried.
Few facts standing out in this whole issue:
- Mosque is over 130 years old and older than airport.
- It is located merely 165 meters from secondary runway.
- Relocation issue has been sensitive since the 1950s .
Sikdar also said land occupied by mosque falls under Airports Authority of India (AAI),and that it is needed for better airport operations . A meeting was held at District Magistrate’s office in Barasat,where members of mosque committee were also part of discussion.
And tbh,this is where matter becomes delicate . BJP leader has reportedly reached out to local Muslim clerics and community representatives,asking for cooperation in relocation process. He also assured that alternative land would be provided.
But history is not clean here . Previous governments also tried to move mosque and faced backlash. Many residents had earlier agreed to relocation around airport area only with understanding that mosque would remain untouched. So trust issue is already sitting there from long time.
Kolkata Airport is definitely major aviation hub in India,and expansion plans are not random either . Safety during fog,modern systems,runway operations,all these things matter. But at same time,for local community,this mosque is not just one structure on map.
So now question is whether government,AAI,mosque committee and local people can actually find solution without turning it into another religious flashpoint…
