“The objective of the attack (on Sen) the Visva-Bharati authorities have launched at the behest of the Centre is to attack the very essence of The Argumentative Indian. The BJP will not brook any voice of dissent. They will not tolerate any criticism,” said actor-director-playwright and state minister Bratya Basu.
“The sole crime that Amartya Sen might have committed is that he dared to speak against the BJP.”
The Argumentative Indian is a collection of essays that discuss India’s history and identity, focusing on the traditions of public debate and intellectual pluralism.
Sen had last week said in response to a question from The Telegraph: “Having been born and brought up in Santiniketan, I could comment on the big gap between Santiniketan culture and that of the VC, empowered as he is by the central government in Delhi, with its growing control over Bengal.”