The 136-year-old mosque that refused to move from Kolkata airport

Over the decades, a mosque standing right within the premises of Kolkata airport has remained a point of contention. In fact, the Bankra mosque predates the airport. Now, the BJP government in Bengal has renewed efforts to relocate the mosque.

In Short

• Prayers stopped at 136-year-old Bankra mosque inside Kolkata airport
• The mosque stands 165 metres from the secondary runway
• Efforts to relocate mosque gains fresh momentum under BJP govt

Ever since the British built the Dum Dum aerodrome in Kolkata in 1924, a mosque abruptly standing right within the premises has remained a point of contention. Over the decades, the aerodrome evolved into what is now the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, chief ministers came and went, but the Bankra mosque stayed put despite safety concerns raised by aviation authorities. Now, with the BJP in power at the Centre and at the state, efforts to relocate the mosque have gathered fresh momentum.

Over the past week, entry to the 136-year-old Bankra mosque, also known as the Gauripur Jama Masjid, has been stopped by the Suvendu Adhikari-led government due to security concerns. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has flagged the issue of allowing devotees access to a high-sensitive zone based only on Aadhaar cards.

On normal days, around 50 people are allowed to offer namaz at the mosque after being frisked by the CISF at the airport entry gate. They are required to show only Aadhaar cards. Biometric checks and background verification mandatory for airport entry were not carried out. The devotees are then taken to the mosque by bus. During Friday prayers, the count swells to well above 80.

CHALLENGES POSED BY MOSQUE

But, more than security, the bizarre location of the mosque poses an obstacle to the airport's secondary runway. Once surrounded by open land, the mosque now stands just 165 metres north of the secondary runway. As per rules, any building has to be at a minimum distance of 240 metres from a runway.

Moreover, an adjacent pond led to additional complications for aircraft movement. This prevented full utilisation of the second runway, whose operational length became limited to 2,832 metres. In comparison, the primary runway is 3,633 metres.

As a stop-gap measure, the issue was circumvented by shifting the runway's touchdown point southward by 88 metres. However, this arrangement was adequate for only narrow-body aircraft like Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. Wide-body aircraft had to rely on the main runway.

This proved to be a challenge during foggy winter days. While the primary runway is equipped with CAT III-B instrument landing system, allowing flight operations during dense fog, it was not possible to install the equipment on the second runway due to the mosque's presence.

This put additional pressure on the primary runway of the airport, the sixth busiest in the country. The Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport handles 60,000-70,000 passengers daily. Footfall increases to over 3 lakh during Durga Puja.

HOW DID THE MOSQUE END UP INSIDE AIRPORT?

But, how did the mosque get there in the first place? The mosque was not built inside the airport premises. In fact, it predates the airport, believed to have been built sometime in the 1890s.

At that time, a village existed where the airport currently stands. The mosque was a part of the village.

In 1924, the British established the Dum Dum aerodrome. Five years later, the Bengal Flying Club was opened at the site. However, the village, including the mosque, was not shifted or demolished.

In the 1950s, Kolkata was slowly emerging as India's primary industrial and commercial powerhouse. Thus, the airport had to be expanded. During this, villages located in the north and west of the main runway were cleared. The residents were relocated to Madhyamgram, around 6-7 km away.

In the 1960s, the airport was expanded westwards, and a new (secondary) runway was added. For this, the Bengal government transferred land to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in 1962. However, the mosque was left untouched, believed to be part of an understanding at the time.

Persistent efforts to relocate the mosque have not borne fruit.

STALEMATE OVER MOSQUE RELOCATION

North Dum Dum MLA Sourav Sikdar, under whose constituency the airport falls, said the issue was first raised in Parliament in 1998 by his uncle, former Union minister Tapan Sikdar.

In 2003, then Union Civil Aviation Minister Shahnawaz Hussain held a meeting with then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. It did not fructify. It was then that authorities decided to divert the runway rather than remove the mosque, according to a TOI report.

Over the years, it has been at the heart of a tussle between the civil aviation ministry and subsequent Bengal governments. However, efforts were shot down by chief ministers Jyoti Basu, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and Mamata Banerjee.

Now, with a BJP government in the state as well as in New Delhi, there has been a renewed attempt to relocate the mosque and expand the second runway.

MLA Sikdar said a temple located near the airport would also be relocated. "There will be no compromise when it comes to development," he said.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has linked the matter to national security. However, he clarified that the move was not to hurt religious sentiments.

"In terms of geopolitics and security, this airport's location is critical given its proximity to Bangladesh and China. Unrestricted civilian access simply cannot be permitted inside a defence and transport hub," Adhikari said.

The issue has also acquired political overtones, with Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar blaming appeasement politics of previous governments for it.

"Earlier, no government took any action because of appeasement politics. Our govt does not believe in it. What is the big issue if the mosque is shifted?" he said.

Siddiqullah Chowdhury, former Trinamool minister and chief of the Bengal unit's Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, has opposed any attempt to forcibly shift the structure. The mosque authorities have argued that the structure existed long before the airport expanded around it.

For now, no timeline has been set for the mosque's relocation. Only the entry of devotees has been stopped. It remains to be seen how Suvendu Adhikari navigates the issue that has emerged as one of the first sensitive disputes of his two-month-old government.

- Ends