Kolkata: For the first time in years, Eid al Adha prayers will not be held on the Red Road in Kolkata. The Army’s Kolkata-based Bengal Sub-Area has declined permission to the Calcutta Khilafat Committee to organise the event at the venue. Red Road is just beyond the boundary of Vijay Durg (formerly Fort William), headquarters of the Army’s Eastern Command.
The Red Road is part of the Kolkata Maidan that is owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The Army (the Bengal Sub-Area in this case) is the custodian of the property. Formel permission has to be sought from the Army for any event on the Maidan.
“The permission for conduct of congregational prayer for “Eid-Uz-Zoha” in general area Red Road on 07th or 08th June 2025 is not granted as the area is required for military purpose,” the Army has said in a letter, dated May 31, addressed to the Calcutta Khilafat Committee. A copy has also been sent to the Kolkata Police.
According to those in the know, there can be two possible reasons behind this decision by the Army.
“One of these is quite straightforward. The Armed Forces are on a state of high alert after Operation Sindoor and a large congregation just outside the gate of an important installation like Vijay Durg is unlikely to be allowed. There can also be another reason. This decision may have to do with the contentious ‘Waqf by User’ clause. Under this clause, sustained use of a property for religious or charitable purposes, even without formal documentation, can result in it being declared as Waqf,” an official said.
There are allegations that government land has been declared as Waqf under this clause in certain parts of the country. The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, has brought about certain changes in the clause and this has been challenged before the Supreme Court, where the matter is now pending.
Javed Ahmed Khan, West Bengal’s minister for disaster management, who is also a member of the Calcutta Khilafat Committee, has confirmed that his organisation received a letter from the Army. A meeting of the Committee was also convened to decide the next course of action.
