Visva-Bharati Land Row: Amartya questions ‘real purpose’ of land survey

In a press statement, Sen said, “I learnt from newspapers that the Visva-Bharati authorities have asked me for ‘two convenient days’ to carry out the measurement of land. It concerns the very purpose of the exercise. The debate about the Pratichi land concerns the claim that Visva-Bharati has declared that 13 decimal land that I have used as part of my home from my childhood belongs not to us, but to them. So the question that arises is not what we get from measuring the land. Then whose land is it? Better measurement will not answer that question. The real issue is the interpretation of ownership and use.”

The university’s letter read, “…this is to inform you that the university wants to jointly survey/demarcate the land mutated in your favour…”

In another press statement, the university had raised the question as why the Chief Minister did not mention “survey of land” even once. Only by surveying the land will it be understood that the documents of Visva Bharati were wrong or those of the state government were correct, it had further said.

Meanwhile, Sen is learnt to have left Santiniketan for Delhi amid Z-plus security, it is learnt. Last month, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had visited Prof Sen’s house and announced to increase his security. This is the first time he was seen with the Z-plus security ring.