Nobel laureate Amartya Sen is in "unauthorised occupation" of a piece of land belonging to Visva-Bharati, a communique sent to him on behalf of the central university has stated, requesting that Sen should hand it back to the university at the earliest. Sen tells DH that the development affects him, as it's irritating.
The university’s letter states that from the records and physical survey, demarcation, it has come to light that Sen is occupying 13 decimals (5662 square feet, approximately) of land, which is unauthorised and belongs to the university. This patch of land, however, is in addition to around 125 decimals of land “originally leased to late Ashutosh Sen on 27-10-1943 and mutated in your favour in 2006”, the letter says.
"You are requested to hand over the said 13 decimals of land to the university at the earliest. The university may organise a joint survey in presence of your surveyor/ advocate, if you want,” the letter added.
"It’s affecting me because it irritates me a lot. Because I have done nothing to deserve it. It deals with a house that my father built…,” Sen told Deccan Herald over the phone when requested for comment.
Sen clarified that while his father had got land on lease from the university, and since it was not large enough, additional land had to be procured from the neighbourhood. The university, however, (of late) considers that the lease is inadequate to cover the land. The university couldn’t be reached for comment.
The matter had been taken up earlier as well, some years ago, and explained. “It is a very simple issue converted into one of wrongdoing,” he feels. From Sen’s end, a response will soon be provided to the university.
Could his critical stands, at times of the Centre, be a trigger for such developments, as people in general tend to believe? “There is nothing I can do. I am critical
"I have to be honest about my beliefs,” he said.
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