For the first time, the Hindu nationalist apparatus is working in West Bengal under the most favourable political conditions, following the BJP’s victory in the 2026 assembly election and the formation of the state’s first BJP government. Viewed through the organisational journey of the Sangh parivar, this marks the culmination of a decades-long project that began, according to RSS accounts, with the establishment of the first RSS shakha (branch) in Kolkata in 1939, advanced steadily under a largely unsympathetic political climate and encountered relatively conducive political conditions only under the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime.

Compared with many other parts of India, the expansion of the Sangh in West Bengal was relatively slow, though steady. Its growth became particularly pronounced over the past three decades, enabling it to expand its presence across different spheres of public life. Yet, despite this consolidation, it struggled to establish itself at the heart of Bengal’s cultural sphere, as the institutions and networks shaping cultural production and public discourse remained largely beyond its influence.

The Sangh parivar’s efforts to cultivate an alternative cultural sphere date back to the 1950s, when organisations such as Bharatiya Sanskriti Parishad and Sangham were established through the joint efforts of the RSS and the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Over the following decades, similar organisations emerged to advance Hindu nationalist thought, including Yogakshema, Sanskar Bharati, Bharatiya Krishti Sangha, Rashtriya Sanskriti Sangha, Lok Prajna and Bharatiya Sanskriti Trust, among others.

Although these organisations gradually built a loyal support base, none acquired the organisational capacity needed to challenge Bengal’s prevailing cultural hegemony. With state power now on its side, the Hindu Right has intensified its efforts to establish new institutions and revitalise existing ones across diverse spheres in a coordinated attempt to reshape Bengal’s cultural landscape.

‘Boi para’: The first stop

Hindutva’s first organised intervention has been directed towards Kolkata’s College Street, popularly known as ‘Boi Para’ – one of India’s largest book markets. The objective, however, is less commercial than ideological.

Boi Para is much more than a marketplace for books. It has long served as a hub of intellectual and political exchange and has been largely shaped by Left intellectual traditions, with the Hindu Right remaining largely on the margins. Recasting this symbolic space, therefore, naturally becomes an early priority within its broader project of cultural remaking.

Two newly formed organisations – the Bangiya Grantha Shilpa Parishad (BGSP) and the Association of Bengal for Literature & Culture (ABLC) – have emerged as the principal vehicles of this effort, both presenting themselves as umbrella bodies representing those associated with the book industry and the wider cultural community.

The BGSP was formally launched on June 1, 2026, with the backing of the Sangh parivar and support from sections of the publishing industry; subsequent developments also indicated BJP patronage. Although the organisation describes itself as open to all and strictly apolitical, it has simultaneously made it clear that those it........

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