Mita Mukherjee
Visva-Bharati University has sent a letter to Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen accusing him of unauthorised occupation of 13 decimal land on the campus. The central university has asked him to “hand over” the land at the earliest.
The letter was issued on January 24, 2013, ten days after the economist had said that he stood by his recent remark that ” the Indian government was one of the most appalling in the world.’
It was in January 2021, Visva -Bharati Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty for the first time had accused Sen’s family of being in illegal possession of land at the campus. Sen had then said that the land was taken on long term lease.
The January 24 letter signed by joint registrar of the Visva-Bharati University’s jo reads: “It has been found from records and physical survey/ demarcation that you are in unauthorised occupation of 13 decimals of land belonging to Visva-Bharati in LR plot no 1900/2487, corresponding to RS plot no 1900/2487 and corresponding to C.S. plot no 1900 of mouza Surul (JL no 104)…. This is an addition to the 125 decimals land (out of part of C.S plot no 1900 of mouza Surul) originally leased to late Ashutosh Sen on 27-10-1943 and mutated in your favour in 2006. You are requested to hand over the said 13 decimals of land to the University at the earliest.”
The University has also said in the letter that it was ready to undertake a joint survey of its representatives and a surveyor or advocate to verify the claims.
“The University may organise a joint survey in presence of your surveyor/advocate if you want,” the letter read.
Reacting to the letter, the Nobel Laureate told mediapersons that the allegation is not true and his lawyer will send a reply to it.
Visva-Bharati is a central university whose chancellor is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There had been allegations against Chakraborty, the university’s vice-chancellor that he was trying to saffronise the institution founded by Rabindranath Tagore.
Students and teachers expressed shock with the university’s repeated attempts to harass the economist for being critical of the Narendra Modi government.
The Nobel Laureate’s father Asutosh Sen had taken 125 decimals of land on lease from the university in 1943, sources said.
There has never been an allegation about unauthorised possession of additional 13 decimals, sources said.
The state government has already taken up the issue and asked the administration of Birbhum district, where the university is located, to take necessary steps in this regard.
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