Stop seeing through ears and brain: Visva Bharati University to Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, Feb 02: The battle between Visva Bharati University and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over Amartya Sen's land issue further intensified as the varsity on Thursday asked her "to stop seeing through her ears and use her brain."

"Visva Bharati is a central university. We are better off without your blessings because we are used to the margdarshan (guidance) of the Prime Minister," it said in a statement according to NDTV. The university has accused Sen's family of being in illegal possession of land on the campus which has result in war-of-words between the institution and the Bengal Chief Minister.

"We would like to request the chief minister to stop seeing through her ears and use her brain. Your favourite disciple (Anubrata Mondal), without whom you cannot imagine Birbhum, is also languishing in jail," the statement, which has the signature of Visva-Bharati spokesperson Mahua Banerjee, said.

In recent weeks, the Visva Bharati University sent a few letters to the Nobel laureate asking him to hand over parts of a plot which he has been allegedly occupying in Birbhum district's Santiniketan. "You are in possession of 1.38 acre of land which is in excess of your legal entitlement of 1.25 acre," the university administration said in one of the letters to Sen. "Kindly return the land to Visva-Bharati as early as possible since application of the laws of the land will cause embarrassment to you and also to Visva-Bharati which you endear so much."

According to the university, of the 1134 acres of land in possession of the central university, 77 acres encroached till 2018 and the authorities have reclaimed 15 acres from illegal occupants.

On his turn, Sen has denied the allegations and stated that most of the land he is holding in Santiniketan was purchased from the market by his father while some other plots were taken on lease. After receiving the first letter, he said why the university has suddenly become "so active" to drive him out of that place and he did not understand the politics behind it.

West Bengal government said that all old land records were checked and it was found that Professor Sen's father Ashutosh Sen was given a long-term lease of 1.38 acres and not 1.25 acres of land as claimed by the university.

Visva Bharati, founded by Rabindranath Tagore in 1921, was declared a central university and an institution of national importance in 1951.

Dedicated to preserving Indian culture, the university is known for its unique teaching methodology that incorporates traditional Indian and Western educational practices, and offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs.