Visva Bharati V-C: ‘CM doesn’t know how to keep land records or is misleading … documents to Amartya Sen absolutely invalid’

Edited excerpts:

Last week, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee handed over land records to Amartya Sen. She said those were “final and original” records of the land in question and alleged that the university is lying. What do you have to say?

I am sorry to say that our Chief Minister does not seem to know how to keep land records. The CM said the records, which were produced in 1943, were in the name of Professor Sen’s deceased father. You know, in the case of lease land, the lessee is entitled to get the land provided it was transferred by the actual land owner. Amartya Sen’s father Dr Ashutosh Sen passed away. So, the lease given to him is no longer valid. It has to be given to his heir. Amartya Sen was given an opportunity to get the land in his name and he made a request accordingly on September 27, 2006.

As a result, Visva Bharati took appropriate steps to hand over the land and the Vice-Chancellor at the time was Prof Rajat Ray, Prof Sen’s cousin brother. He arranged to transfer the land through mutation. The mutation took place on October 31, 2006. Since 2006, the land officially belongs to Prof Sen.

I am surprised that our learned CM wanted to prove a particular point by referring to documents that are absolutely invalid and irrelevant. I am also shocked because the CM has got advisors who did not inform her that the land records she showed have no meaning in today’s context. I would like to request the honourable CM to show us the records available with the Department of Land Revenue as per the mutation done in 2006.

I have one more example to substantiate my point. In 2006, the amount of land transferred to prof Sen as a lessee is 1 acre 25 decimals. Now, the land transfer charge was Rs 5,000 per bigha. If you multiply that by 1 acre 25 decimals, you get Rs 18,940. So, that means he knew that he paid the tax for land mutation for 1 acre 25 decimals. So, where does the story about Amartya Sen holding 1 acre 38 decimals of land come from? The story is unfounded simply because he did not pay tax for the mutation of 1 acre 38 decimals. So, the CM either did not know the reality or she is deliberately misleading the nation by showing a particular document that is no longer valid.

Whatever I am saying, I am saying based on the documents at our disposal. There are three ways of going forward. First, Prof Sen may move court. The second option is to allow the measurement of the land in the presence of Prof Sen or his representative, a government representative, and in our presence. Third, let Amartya Sen hold discussions with us and tell us why he needs the extra 13 decimals of land. Probably, we can reconsider his appeal.

What is this overall land issue in Santiniketan?

We have 1,130 acres of land. That was mutated in favour of Visva-Bharati when it came into being. When I joined in 2018, I was told by my joint registrar (estate) that 77 acres had been taken away illegally by many Bengali society elites. We have reclaimed roughly 15 acres since 2018.

So, the land question is a serious one. I must also add that because I said illegal occupants happened to be many elite Bengalis and if I disclose their names today, then I will probably be vilified to an extent inconceivable.

Amartya Sen has said that he has been targeted because of his secular point of view.

I am holding a specific chair and that chair has specific commitments to the university. To fulfil that commitment, I have to take some unpleasant decisions although the individual is of the stature of Prof Sen. I am sorry that I have to take this firm step vis-a-vis an intellectual whom I respect a lot. I keep saying that, given my responsibilities, I have to take those unpleasant steps. Here, there is no space for being compassionate when it comes to such kinds of demands. He has illegally occupied 13 decimals of land and because he has not owned that land and the mutation did not approve that transfer he has to return that portion of land to Visva Bharati. That is the only demand we have been making. After Mamata Banerjee’s intervention, the state government is also a stakeholder now. Until this problem is sorted out with the intervention of these three sections, I don’t see any solution.

The Prime Minister is the Chancellor of the university. Did you have any communication with his office or anybody from the Central government?

The Prime Minister is the chancellor. But for day-to-day activities, you cannot disturb him. Whenever there are serious issues, I do intimate him. For example, when there is a meeting of the university court, which he presides over, I have to seek his permission.

The CM held a press conference after talking to Amartya Sen. She highlighted the “saffronisation of Visva Bharati”. What is your reaction to that?

The CM is saying that I am saffronising the campus. Does the CM have an example? Please ask the Chief Minister for at least one example to prove the point that Visva Bharati is being saffronised under my care.

Do you think you will be able to solve the problems of Visva Bharati?

I can say that I have a well-defined set of duties and if I can fulfil those duties I will be happy. As long as I am around I will not allow land sharks to raise their head. I will not allow those who try to use Visva Bharati for partisan reasons. I will not allow those who try to deviate from the statute, rules, and regulations. If I do all those with sincerity, I will have done my job.

Most of our faculty members are competent but, for reasons which are not clear, they have lagged behind international standards. Some of our departments are doing excellent work, the result of which shall be visible soon. We have recruited bright individuals as teachers and soon you will see Visva-Bharati’s academic excellence.

In case of academic appointment, I make it a point to make Visva Bharati “Visva Bharati”. The criterion is you have to be the best of the best. I will not compromise on quality. In the academic section, probably within five to 10 years, you can see the results. I am very confident about it.