In West Bengal, the first BJP government of the state led by Subhendu Adhikari was sworn in on May 9. On Monday, six months of this government were completed.
In these six months, the biggest change in the state is probably visible in the field of culture.
Before the elections, BJP had made many promises like setting up industries in the state, increasing employment and safety of women. Perhaps the government has not yet got enough time to fulfill these promises.
But signs of change have already started appearing in West Bengal's art, education, language, festivals and culture of living together with different religions.
Be it allegations of trying to establish ideological dominance in educational institutions, attacks on book stalls by leftists or telling people what they should and should not do during Durga Puja, allegations of gradual marginalization of the Muslim community are also being made amid these incidents.
To understand what this change in the cultural environment of the state is, what is the reason behind it and how it is visible, we talked to people in different parts of Kolkata.
Warning of 'uprooting' in Jadavpur
On May 9, Subhendu Adhikari was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal at the Brigade Ground in Kolkata. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present in that ceremony.
Exactly four months later, on September 9, the Chief Minister proceeded towards Jadavpur University in South Kolkata along with Hindu saints and sages. There he talked about gaining ideological and political hold on the university.
Standing in front of the university, Subhendu Adhikari had said, "The Chief Minister of West Bengal knows how to uproot that group of people who raise slogans of 'Kashmir Mange Azadi' in Jadavpur or give 'Red Salute' to Maoist leader Kishenji."
On visiting the university campus after Durga Puja, it came to light that the impact of the Chief Minister's speech and procession was still being felt.
Some students sitting in front of the Arts Department said that sages and saints are protesting outside the campus and BJP's student organization is breaking the university's emblem, but the government is not concerned about the problems of the students.
Gaurav Burman, a student of the arts department, said, "Now the opposing views and voices are not given the slightest respect. BJP wants everyone to follow its path and eat food and wear clothes as per its choice."
Gaurav's friend Nirbhik said, "By removing Surya Sen, Pritilata Wadder and Bhagat Singh, who were involved in the freedom struggle, from the curriculum, now we are being taught only about Shyama Prasad Mukherjee."
Even students who are not very interested in politics appear angry or disappointed with the current situation.
Srimayi Debnath, a pharmacy student, said, "It is clearly visible that this government is more inclined towards Sanatan Hindu Dharma. But it cannot be right to look at every issue from only one perspective."
Sudarshan Mukherjee, a second-year chemical engineering student, said, "Everything has become quiet without any reason. There is no excitement, noise and fun like before."
During Durga Puja, an attempt was made to demolish the CPIM book stall at 8B bus stand in Jadavpur with a bulldozer. However, it was stopped after protests by party workers.
During the puja, there were incidents of attacks on book stalls by leftists in other parts of the state also.
'All this will not happen under the guise of student movement'
BJP says that it does not believe in the culture of forcibly occupying a university or throwing books.
West Bengal BJP chief spokesperson Devjit Sarkar told BBC Bangla, "We do not believe in imposing anything forcefully on anyone. This is not part of our ideology."
He held the leftists responsible for this.
Devjit Sarkar said, "The Vice Chancellor of the University was murdered by slitting his throat by branding him as a class enemy. In the same Jadavpur, leftists had done this to Gopalchandra Sen. We have no such record."
He was asked that there are continuous attacks in universities like Jadavpur and Presidency and book stalls are also being targeted, so what is the reason for this?
On this, Devjit Sarkar claimed that there are two reasons behind this happening in West Bengal.
He said, "The first reason is that one group of Leftists is attacking another group and trying to put the blame on BJP."
"The second reason is that the leftists have understood that under the guise of the student movement, they will no longer be able to carry on the immoral and anti-national activities that they have been carrying on for so many years. That is why they are angry."
Giving the example of China, he said that those who once used to raise the slogan "China's Chairman is our Chairman", can they stand in China and say "China will break into pieces, Inshallah, Inshallah"?
It is clear from the words of the BJP spokesperson that the party is on the contrary putting the responsibility of the allegations of occupation of cultural institutions on the Leftists.
'Now only Hindu-Muslim are being talked about'
Some people say that lack of tolerance is visible not only in educational institutions but also in religious festivals.
Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari had said before the immersion of the Durga idol, "Only those who believe in Sanatan Dharma will touch the idol."
His statement was interpreted to mean that non-Hindus should not touch the Durga idol.
Former Culture Secretary of the Government of India and former MP Jawahar Sarkar is counted among the well-known intellectuals of Kolkata. He believes that BJP has not understood Bengal properly.
"Bengal never thought like this on the basis of caste and religion. We used to eat food in the same plate with our friends. The question never came to our mind as to who is Muslim or Christian and who comes from which caste," he told the BBC at his home in Kolkata.
He said, "These are the core values of our state. Subhendu Adhikari's government has taken a stand against them from day one."
Even when walking around the Muslim-dominated areas of Kolkata, some people feel an unseen wall of religious division.
They say that this wall was there earlier also, but in recent times it has become higher and stronger.
Even today, preparations for Kali Puja are discussed in the 'Circus Sporting Club and Library' located near Bekbagan Mosque in Kolkata.
But some Muslims living in the nearby Park Circus area say that the new environment of the city seems strange to them.
Taxi driver Rashid Ahmed said, "I roam around the whole city. Now everywhere there is only Hindu-Muslim, Hindu-Muslim. In Muslim areas, people put up BJP flags and say that I am associated with BJP."
Mohammad Sabir said, "Earlier in Bengal, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs all lived together. Now everything is divided."
He said, "We may be Muslims, but we also used to go to puja. We used to visit different pandals with family and children. But this year we felt that we cannot go to puja because we were refused."
Hearing this conversation, Sheikh Taufiq stopped his motorcycle and joined the discussion.
He said, "Now there is only hatred. Earlier we also used to go to Dandiya of Gujaratis. But this time Shubhendu da said that we cannot go. Now we need a pass to prove who is a Hindu and who is a Muslim."
'Nationalist thinking' in art and literature
Two days before Kali Puja, a group of artists, writers and cultural workers sat for an open-air discussion around the 'Ektara Manch' at Ravindra Sadan and Nandan Complex in Kolkata.
The topic of their conversation was how 'nationalist thinking' can be taken forward in programs related to art and culture in the era of the new government.
Writer Soumitra Rai said, "This is a country with a tradition of sages and Bengal has been the land of great thinkers. Only by including their thoughts in literature can we regain our lost glory."
Cultural activist Taapsee Acharya believes that the time has come to leave behind the corruption of previous governments and work on culture in a new way.
Moushumi Bhattacharya said, "There has been a wave of change. Everything may not be fixed so quickly, but I think things are moving in a better direction."
Organizer Ratan Bose said that West Bengal is now standing again after coming out of the "sinking ship" of the Left Front and Trinamool Congress governments.
Writer Falguni Ghosh stressed that artists, writers and poets from districts outside Kolkata should also be brought forward.
This shows that a new thinking is now gaining place in the literary and cultural sector of Kolkata.
Those who were feeling sidelined for the last several years now feel that there may be a change in the thinking of West Bengal.
But West Bengal and Kolkata have long been considered a place of open-mindedness, progressive ideas and independent thinking. In such a situation, the question is whether the steps of the new government are indicating a change in this identity also?
Some people like Jawahar Sarkar link the change in the cultural environment of the state to the politics of increasing dominance of Hindi.
He told the BBC, "Shubhendu has been brought to power by some Hindi-speaking leaders of North India. He cannot deny this. These leaders believe in establishing the dominance of Hindus and Hindi throughout India."
He said, "In such a situation, he is not worried about what the people of Bengal think. To save his position, he is doing things to please his Hindi speaking leaders."
Jawahar Sarkar believes that just before Durga Puja, a religious leader from the Hindi speaking region came to West Bengal and advised people to eat vegetarian food during the puja.
According to him, stopping leftists from setting up stalls and selling books during the puja and telling people what can and cannot be done during the puja is part of the Chief Minister's efforts.
However, he also says that the people of Bengal ignored these instructions.
According to him, this is why there was "record sales of mutton rolls and biryani" during this year's puja.
'West Bengal was created for Hindus'
Kolkata was once famous for Nizam's Beef Roll, but now it has become difficult to get beef in any restaurant in the city. Eid prayers have also stopped on Red Road.
In such a situation, the question is being raised whether during the first BJP government in the history of West Bengal, about 30 percent Muslim population of the state is gradually being sidelined or not.
BJP leadership does not give a direct answer to this question.
West Bengal BJP chief spokesperson Devjit Sarkar said, "Beef slaughter has not been banned in West Bengal, at least not yet. But cow slaughtering cannot be allowed anywhere and in any manner."
He said, "There are fixed laws in this regard by the state and central governments. If everything is done by following those laws, then there is no problem."
He said, "We cannot forget two-three things. The first thing is that at the time of partition, West Bengal was not created for Bengalis. Reorganization of the states on the basis of language happened much later."
According to him, "The voting held in the Provincial Assembly on June 20, 1947 had given a decision in favor of creating a Hindu motherland here."
BJP believes that now after so many years, that process has actually started in West Bengal.
The party also says that at the time of India's independence, it is not communal to raise the question of "whose attacks had fled to save their lives" from Noakhali, Comilla, Barishal and Rajshahi.
Devjit Sarkar said, "Yes, we are not ignoring 30 percent of the people of the state. This cannot be done."
He said, "But we are also not asking them to vote for us. They can vote for whoever they want. But we will definitely ask these 30 percent people to stand in front of the mirror once and open their eyes and see the reality."
The party leadership is showing no hesitation in stating that the new BJP government of West Bengal will first work to create a "Hindu motherland".
Along with this, the process of reinventing the culture and politics in the state has also started.
