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Punisol (Bengal): Overshadowed by anxiety, this year’s Eid al Adha, popularly known as Bakrid, in West Bengal saw an atmosphere of melancholy. In place of celebration, the festival brought to the fore a key question that the new Bharatiya Janata Party government has introduced to the culture of the state – are Muslim festivities not a significant part of Bengal’s traditional fabric?

Bengal’s chief minister, Suvendu Adhikari, wrote a terse message on the occasion on social media, saying, “Greetings to all those who are celebrating Eid-ul-Adha. Wishing you & your families peace and prosperity.” He later visited the ISKCON Chandradaya Temple in Mayapur of Nadia district, to perform cow worship on the day, in an act reflective of his personal brand of political messaging.

People offer prayers on the occasion of Eid al-Adha at Brigade Parade Ground, in Kolkata, Thursday, May 28, 2026. Photo: PTI.

In Bengal capital Kolkata, the largest Eid congregation was held at the Brigade Parade Ground instead of the iconic Red Road venue. But the real picture of a different kind of Eid was visible in Bengal’s villages.

On May 28, this reporter visited several Muslim-majority villages to note how Bakrid celebrations were taking place. What emerged from nearly every locality was the role of silence. Residents spoke in hushed tones with a sense of resignation.

Suvendu Adhikari during rituals at a temple on May 28. Photo: Video screengrab/By arrangement.

For Muslims in Bengal, as elsewhere, the act of sacrifice at Eid is the heart of the ritual. The spirit of selflessness, where one must let go of what is most cherished, manifests in the sacrifice of cattle, goats, camels, and sheep which are raised with care for months.

This year, however, sacrifices were absent from the ritual in many places. The guidelines and restrictions surrounding animal sacrifice under the present BJP-led state government have created a climate of hesitation regarding slaughter during Eid.

In compliance with government directives, many families refrained from sacrificing cows altogether. In some places, people performed qurbani with goats or sheep instead.

It was not only the Muslim community that voiced anguish. Members of the Hindu community, too, openly expressed their distress over the impact of the BJP government’s regulations surrounding the buying and selling of animals. Many said in........

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