Visva-Bharati, West Bengal’s only central university, has suspended a postgraduate student for a full semester due to his social media posts supporting Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. The student, Somenath Sow, faced disciplinary action for allegedly attempting to defame the institution and its officials through his posts.
The controversy surrounding Visva-Bharati dates back to 2018 when Bidyut Chakrabarty assumed the position of vice-chancellor. In the recent incident, Sow wrote three Facebook posts in January and February, calling on the university to produce 1943 records to substantiate its claim on a disputed land, which Nobel laureate Amartya Sen’s father had leased in 1943.
The university accused Sow of attempting to denigrate and defame Visva-Bharati and its officials. This marks the second disciplinary action against Sow, who was previously suspended for participating in protests against Vice-Chancellor Chakrabarty. Sow later obtained admission to the post-graduate program through a court order.
The suspension order, dated July 26, was issued by the Standing Students’ Disciplinary Committee and signed by the competent authority, suspending Sow for one semester from the Department of Lifelong Learning and Extension, Palli Samgathana Vibhaga (PSV).
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Amid the ongoing controversies at Visva-Bharati, the campus has witnessed several agitations, with disciplinary actions being challenged in the Calcutta high court by teachers and students. Various court orders have favoured the petitioners in these cases.
The dispute over the land lease involving Amartya Sen’s father has garnered attention from scholars worldwide, who have voiced their support for Sen, claiming that there is a political motive behind the controversy.
In response to the suspension, political parties have engaged in a political slugfest. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) condemned the vice-chancellor’s action, stating that it is obliterating the legacy of Tagore, who believed in education for all. On the other hand, the BJP described the suspension as an internal matter of Visva-Bharati.
As the controversy continues to unfold, Visva-Bharati remains in the spotlight, with discussions on academic freedom and the right to express opinions on social media becoming subjects of public debate.
