Visva Bharati professor sacked: Noam Chomsky among 261 signatories in academics' letter seeking President's intervention

The letter sought President of India Droupadi Murmu's intervention in the issue related to the allegedly illegal termination of Visva Bharati Economics Professor Sudipta Bhattacharya by university administration.

Bolpur: Renowned linguist Noam Chomsky is one among a total of 261 signatories in a petition that was submitted to the President of India on Tuesday from academicians from across India, as well as around the world, in connection with the controversial dismissal of Viswa Bharati University Professor Sudipta Bhattacharya by Vice Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty.

"We, the undersigned members of the academic community express our deep concern and alarm at the brazenly illegal order served by the Acting Registrar of Visva-Bharati to Professor Sudipta Bhattacharya, who teaches at the university's economics department and is currently the President of the Visva-Bharati University faculty association" the letter read, adding that signatories included - apart from Chomsky - Utsa Patnaik, Partha Chatterjee, Harbans Mukhia, Nivedita Menon as well as Antara Dev Sen, daughter of noted economist and former university professor, Dr. Amartya Sen.

This comes after Bhattacharya, back in December, 2022 was terminated following an executive council meeting of the university on grounds of alleged misconduct. Subsequently, the latter, as per media reports, had noted he would take up the case before the Calcutta High Court, noting no show-cause notice was served to him prior to the sack.

The name of Vice Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty, who has made headlines on several instances in the past, most recently surfaced after six university students were suspended on December 23, a day after Bhattacharya's termination. While the reaction to this arrived in the form of protests, the university Public Relations Officer, as part of an official statement addressing the issue, termed it 'a brazen display of thuggery'.