On Thursday, May 4, Calcutta High Court ordered an interim stay on Visva Bharati University’s eviction notice to ‘economist’ Amartya Sen on a portion of land he is reportedly holding illegally. Amartya Sen petitioned the Calcutta High Court for relief after the university issued an order directing the petitioner to vacate 0.13 acres (5,500 sq ft) of land at his ancestral Santiniketan residence by May 6, even though an appeal for a stay on possible eviction was set for hearing on May 15, 2023, at a court in Suri in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.
The plea was heard at the High Court by a bench led by Justice Bibhas Ranjan De. It granted an interim stay of proceedings till the case is heard by a lower court in Birbhum. In his plea, the economist claimed that in October 1943, Visva-Bharati general secretary Rathindranath Tagore gave his father, Ashutosh Sen, 1.38 acres of land for a 99-year lease.
The notice to vacate the land allegedly occupied by Sen illegally was issued by Joint Registrar Asish Mahato.
“More or less 13 decimals occupied unauthorized by Sri Amartya Kumar Sen in the north-west corner of Visva-Bharati plot no 201, ie LR plot no 1900/2487 (having a total area of 1.38 acres) in LR Khatian no 270 Corresponding to R.S plot no 1900/2487 & further corresponding to Part of C.S,” the notice stated.
It further stated that Amartya Sen can only lawfully occupy 1.25 acres of land only, as lessee (for the residual period of lease) in the scheduled premises. He does not have the authority to occupy 1.38 acres of land on the scheduled premises. In response to this, Sen stated that the proper authorities should be notified to stop the university from abusing its power in an arbitrary manner.
Following the Visva-Bharati notice, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed her party leaders to stage a sit-in in front of Sen’s house if Visva-Bharati attempted to evict Sen.