Protests continue at Visva Bharati over Amartya Sen’s ‘insult’

Protest outside Amartya Sen’s house in Visva Bharati, Santiniketan. , Photo Credit: Debashish Bhaduri

A group of intellectuals as well as Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders have been protesting outside his house for the past few days. Amartya Sen at Visva-Bharati UniversitySantiniketan in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.

The protest began on Saturday over a notice issued by the university to Mr Sen, asking him to vacate the portion of land on which his house ‘Partichi’ stands.

“The protest will continue till Rabindra Jayanti (May 9). While we are protesting against the insult of Amartya Sen. For the past four years, students and faculty members have been targeted by the Vice-Chancellor of Visva Bharati and the protest is the culmination of all such actions,” Meenakshi Bhattacharya, a student leader associated with TMC’s student wing told Hindu,

The protests, which began on May 5 (Friday), continued on Sunday (May 7), and are likely to continue till Rabindra Jayanti (birth anniversary celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore on May 9). A procession was taken out on Friday, which culminated at the home of the Nobel laureate. On Saturday, prominent intellectuals including painters Shuvaprasanna and Jogen Chowdhary and singer Kabir Suman participated in a sit-in demonstration outside Dr. Sen’s house. On Sunday, a demonstration was held at the same venue under the banner of ‘Vishwa Bharti Bachao Committee’.

Also read: Congress weighs in on Amartya Sen’s Santiniketan residence after eviction notice to Visva Bharati

continued despite protests and demonstrations Calcutta High Court stay on land dispute The High Court had on May 4 directed the District Judge, Birbhum, to hear the stay plea between Professor Sen and the Visva Bharati University administration on May 10 and said that till then, the university’s order would not come into force.

Mamta’s direction

Trinamool Congress leaders including Bolpur MLA and State Minister Chandranath Sinha are participating in the protest. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had directed her party leaders to organize a protest at Visva Bharati on the issue related to Prof. Sen. On May 5, the chief minister had challenged the university administration to proceed to vacate the 13 decimal land, which is part of the university. The land on which Professor Sen’s house ‘Partichi’ is built. Earlier this year, in January 2023, Ms. Banerjee met the economist and expressed her support to him, and handed over documents related to the land on which her house is built.

political importance

The house is built on 1.38 acres of land and the university is claiming that 13 decimals (0.13 acres) of land belongs to the institution. Professor Sen had told that in October 1943, 1.38 acres of land was given to his father Ashutosh Sen on a lease of 99 years. On April 19, the Visva Bharati University administration issued an order to Amartya Sen. vacate 13 decimal land within 15 days, which according to him is under “illegal possession” of the Arthashastra. Professor Sen is currently not in India and intends to return to Visva Bharati in June 2023.

This development assumes political significance not only because the TMC leadership has extended support to Professor Sen, but also because all political parties are trying to embrace the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit the state in May and participate in a program to celebrate Rabindra Jayanti in Kolkata.