Nobel laureate Amartya Sen expresses gratitude to Mamata for backing over landholding issue

Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen appreciated the move of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after she defended him over reports that he was on the Visva Bharati University's list of illegal plot holders and said such allegations were being made against him as he "is not inclined towards BJP's ideology".

Kolkata: Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen has expressed his gratitude and written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, “for reassuring people under attack.”

Mamata had written to Sen conveying her support to the economist on a dispute over the landholding where his house 'Pratichi' is built.

The Visva Bharati University, the only central university in West Bengal, has written to the state government last week raising questions over holding of land parcels inside the University premises by several persons. University authorities have said that their estate office has prepared a list of illegal occupants, which includes the name of Amartya Sen, as his house Pratichi, is situated inside. The University alleged that the eminent economist is occupying around 13 decimals of land, in addition to the 125 decimals originally and legally leased out to his house by the authorities.

Thanking Mamata for her, “wonderfully supportive letter,” Professor Sen has written, “Your strong voice, along with your full understanding of what is going on, is, for me, a tremendous source of strength.”

Soon after the University shot a letter to the state government and the matter became public, Mamata in a letter of solidarity to Sen said, “Yours have been a family weaved in the culture and fabric of Santiniketan, inalienably.”

Taking a jibe at the University authorities and without naming the BJP government at the Centre, Mamata wrote, “Some nouveau invaders in Visva Bharati have now started raising surprising and completely baseless allegations about your familial properties, etc. This pains me, and I want to express my solidarity with you in your battles against the bigotry of the majoritarianism in this country, the battles that have made you an enemy of these forces of untruth.”

“Kindly count me as your sister and friend in your just war against intolerance and totalitarianism. Let us not be daunted by their untrue accusations, and unfair attacks,” she went on to say.

Several BJP leaders in West Bengal, including the state president Dilip Ghosh, have expressed their displeasure about Mamata's letter to Sen. A rally was organised by several renowned intellectuals and artists of Kolkata on Sunday against Visva Bharati's move in regards to the property of Professor Sen. Commenting on the rally, Ghosh has said it was more of a “save Mamata rally than a save Amartya rally.”