Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, announced on Wednesday that she would stage a sit-in at Bolpur if Visva Bharati University officials attempted to “bulldoze” Nobel laureate Amartya Sen’s ancestral home, “Pratichi,” in the campus area on the grounds that he was illegitimately occupying more land than was granted to him in his lease.
In an eviction order, the University has ordered Mr. Sen to leave 0.13 acres (5,550 square feet) of the 1.38 acres of the leased land, which the authorities claim he occupies in a “unauthorised manner,” by May 6 or within 15 days of the publication of the previous order.
Amartya Sen is targeted daily, Ms. Banerjee informed local media. I’ve observed VB’s arrogance. If they (attempt to) bulldoze his house, I’ll be the first one there (in Bolpur). There, I’ll stage a sit-in.
She declared, “I want to know whether force is stronger: the bulldozer or humanity.
Mr. Sen received documentation from the state department of land and revenue on January 30 that stated the Sen family owned the full 1.38 acre of land as a result of a mutation carried out in 2006.
The documentation has been contested by the university administration.
This was stated in the notice: “Amartya Kumar Sen and all concerned persons are liable to be evicted from the said premises, if need be, by use of such force as may be necessary.” “It is decided that 13 decimals of land, having the dimensions of 50 ft x 111 ft, in the north-west corner of the scheduled premises, is to be recovered from him,” it stated.
Thus, according to the notice from Joint Registrar Asish Mahato, “he (Sen) can legitimately occupy just 1.25 acres of property, as lessee (for the remaining duration of lease) in the scheduled premises.
Other political parties have also denounced the notice, notably the Congress, which claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration was “targeting” Mr. Sen because of his outspoken opposition to the Hindutva forces.
Rabindranath Tagore founded Visva Bharati in 1921. Until it was transformed into a central university in 1951, it was a college.
The prime minister serves as its chancellor, and it is the sole central university in Bengal.
