Visva Bharati student gets show-cause notice for backing Amartya Sen on social media

Kolkata:  Visva Bharati university authorities have issued a show-cause notice to one of its students after the latter supported Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on social media over the current row where the university Vice Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty has accused the economist of unauthorised occupation of the university land in excess of his legal entitlement.

The student, Somanath Sou, is an active member of the CPI(M)’s student wing Students’ Federation of India (SFI). Recently he made a post on social media condemning the attitude of the university authorities towards Sen in the current row.

He said in his post that this is nothing but unnecessarily harassing the globally acclaimed educationist and economist. According to him, certain elements are constantly advising the vice-chancellor that by harassing Sen he would get the support of the BJP.

According to Sou, from the land records it is clear that Sen is legally entitled to the entire land including the 13 decimals of land which the university authorities claim to be held by him beyond his legal entitlement. “The real truth must be revealed since in this process an aged and globally acclaimed educationist is being harassed unnecessarily. The university authorities should come out with papers in support of their baseless claims,” he wrote in his social media post.

Soon after that he was slapped with the show-cause asking him why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for being vocal against the university despite being a student there. In the notice Sou has been warned of strong disciplinary action if he repeats a similar action in the future.

On February 11, Sen’s advocate issued a legal notice to the university authorities asking the latter to tender a public apology for their derogatory comments in connection with the continuing row over 13 decimals of land occupied by him. “The university authorities should apologise for making such derogatory comments. Else appropriate legal action will be taken,” said Sen’s counsel Gorachand Chakroborty.

–IANS