“Better Off Without Your Blessing”: Bengal University to CM Banerjee

GG News Bureau

Kolkata, 2nd Feb. What started as a squabble over Visva Bharati University’s claim that Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen illegally occupied land has escalated into a full-fledged political battle, with the university issuing a statement against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The university stated in a press release, “Visva Bharati is a central university. We are better off without your blessings because we are used to the margdarshan (guidance) of the Prime Minister.”

Visva-Bharati spokesperson Mahua Banerjee signed the statement.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee chastised the university for accusing Nobel laureate Amartya Sen of illegally occupying land. Mamata Banerjee turned over state government records demonstrating that the land was indeed given to Amartya Sen’s father, Ashutosh Sen, and that there was no illegal occupation, as the university claimed.

“I want to tell the truth based on information and that’s why I have rushed here. You can say, for the disrespect meted out to him, I am handing over these papers to Respected Amartya Sen. In the future, the BJP should not try to disrespect him like this and some pro-BJP saffronised personalities also should not do this is what I have to say,” the Chief Minister told reporters after meeting the Nobel Laureate.

Mamata Banerjee stated that Vishva-Bharati University should focus on running the university rather than encouraging students to saffronize themselves, without naming the Vice-Chancellor, who claims he did not mean to disrespect Amartya Sen by questioning his Nobel Prize. Mamata Banerjee also met with protesting students at Visva-Bharati University, assuring them of her full support in putting an end to the campus unrest.

“We all have a responsibility to protest and save Visva-Bharati. Rabindranath Tagore’s ideas of education in the open amongst nature. If someone thinks they can saffronise students, professors by use of force, then remember that even if no one stands by them, I am with them,” she said.

Mamata Banerjee has also asked that the university apologize to Amartya Sen.

Bidyut Chakrabarty, Vice-Chancellor of Vishva Bharati University, had previously told reporters, “We have handed over a letter to him and our allegation is that the land that was allotted to him according to the land deed is 1.25 acres but he claims1.38 acres.

According to the BJP, Amartya Sen should avoid getting involved in such a controversy. Dilip Ghosh, National General Secretary of the BJP, told reporters, “Amartya Sen is an icon to many people and he should not get involved in this kind of controversy. If there is any truth in this, he should himself come forward and declare it.”