Vacate or be evicted: Visva Bharati's notice to Amartya Sen
Visva Bharati University has asked Nobel laureate Amartya Sen to vacate the 13 decimals of the 1.38 acre leased land from his ancestral property on its campus in West Bengal's Santiniketan. In an eviction order, the university asked the Nobel laureate to vacate the land by May 6, or within 15 days of the publication of the previous order on April 19.
Why does this story matter?
Vice-chancellor of the university, Bidyut Chakrabarty, has alleged that the Nobel laureate's father, Ashutosh Sen, who was a professor at Visva Bharati, rented only 1.25 acres of land in 1943 on a 99-year lease and thus 13 decimals should be returned. In this regard, three letters have been sent to Sen since January 24, with the first eviction notice being issued on March 17.
Details on the eviction notice to Sen
According to the official 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 added, "It is decided that 13 decimals of land having the dimension of 50ft x 111ft in the north-west corner of the scheduled premises is to be recovered from him."
Sen and his family own private lands toward south
Furthermore, the notice stated that the university owns plots on the premises' east and west sides. "On the southern side, Sri Sen and his family own their private lands. He could have participated in joint survey/hearing, etc and indicate his choice." The notice cited the absence of such a choice, as well as the analysis of survey reports and access to Sen's ancestral home.
Twitter post showing university's notice to Sen
West Bengal CM's meeting with Sen regarding the land
On January 30, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met the 89-year-old Nobel laureate and provided him with a state land and revenue department record that showed that all land covered under his property belongs to him through a 2006 mutation. In this regard, the Visva Bharati University decided to challenge the document.
Back-and-forth between Sen and Visva Bharati
In a previous notice, the university stated that it has come to the understanding that Sen does not want to face an investigation and that no further opportunity to show cause or attend a personal hearing will be granted. Sen then allegedly wrote an e-mail to the university on April 17, stating that the university's claims on the leased land have no legal standing.
Detials on Sen's e-mail to Visva Bharati
"I'm the holder of the land, and it was passed on to me after the death of my parents, Ashutosh Sen and Amita Sen. They also purchased other land in close proximity to the leased land," he wrote. "Any contrary claim to this leased land before the expiry of the lease cannot stand," he added while stating that he would visit Santiniketan in June.
