Violence had peaked in Bengal's Dhulagarh on December 14.
Two full weeks after a communal flare up at Dhulagarh, 35 km from Kolkata, a huge police contingent on the main road is restricting entry into the area. Section 144 or prohibitory orders are in place, disallowing the entry of political parties. On Tuesday, a contingent from the Left parties was stopped from entering the area.
Inside the cluster of villages that bore the brunt of the violence, which started during a religious procession to mark the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad, scores of houses have been burnt to the ground. Many people have now come back to the villages. But they are nervous about staying. They make sure their children are sent to relatives far away.
Adhir Debnath owned 28 rooms in a complex. His extended family occupied some. Others were rented out. The entire property has been razed the ground. "They set our houses on fire. I fled with my grandchildren," said the 68-year-old.
But why the attack? "I don't know," he said, recalling the attack. Maybe the attackers wanted "grab" his property, he speculated.
His friend Dilip Khanra said there had been some tension in the area. Shops belonging to both communities have been set on fire. "Tension was brewing. The procession in the Hindu area was the last straw," he added.
Dhulagarh's population is evenly divided between the two communities. There had been some tension in the past, but nothing like the last week.
"We were terrified," said Seema Manna, whose home though intact, had been ransacked. She had fled to her mother's home. This morning she came back to try and tidy up her home. Her distraught husband is still there. Their 20-year-old son, an engineering student, has been sent away.
Locals ask how long this can continue. "We are trying our best. The situation is now almost normal," said Rakhi Biswas, an executive magistrate.