Over 500 academics from institutions across the country and abroad have signed an online petition to protest Visva-Bharati’s “arbitrary decision” to suspend a professor for speaking up against the alleged misdeeds of vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty and his administration.
Among the signatories to the statement are economists Prabhat Patnaik and Amiya Kumar Bagchi and political scientist Zoya Hasan.
Anustup Basu, an associate professor at the University of Illinois, said the suspension of economics professor Sudipta Bhattacharyya went against the “principle of natural justice and freedom of expression”.
“This seems to be the latest example of how universities are increasingly being run in an authoritarian manner in this country,” the statement said.
Political Vendetta Alleged in Suspension of Visva-Bharati Professor
Bhattacharyya had recently lodged a complaint against the appointment of professor Bondhirupa Sinha.
Sudipta Bhattacharyya.
Politics08/Jan/2021
Kolkata: Visva-Bharati on Thursday suspended Sudipta Bhattacharyya, an economics professor, allegedly because of the prolonged âpolitical differencesâ between him and the vice-chancellor, Bidyut Chakrabarty.
In the official suspension letter, the university stated that the executive council suspended Bhattacharyya for âprima facieâ engaging in âmisconduct’ by mass circulating a complaint against a fellow employee and also forwarding copies to high dignitaries by e-mail.
Sources close to Bhattacharyya told
The Wire that he recently lodged a complaint against the appointment of professor Bondhirupa Sinha, who is currently the principal of Patha Bhavana. Bhattacharyya had addressed the complaint letter to VC Chakrabarty with copies to the var
It is tantalisingly untrue, he says. The controversy over whether or not Nobel laureate Amartya Sen made a phone call to Visva-Bharati Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty, requesting him not to evict hawkers from outside his ancestral home in Santiniketan, refuses to die down.
In a fresh email, sent to Visva Bharati University Faculty Association (VBUFA) president Sudipta Bhattacharyya and seen by
The Hindu, Professor Sen once again strongly dismissed the repeated claim made by Mr. Chakrabarty, that he had indeed received such a call from the celebrated economist.
The controversy began last month when Mr. Chakrabarty, during a virtual meeting with faculty members, claimed that he had received a call from Professor Sen, who had introduced himself as “Bharat Ratna Amartya Sen” and requested that hawkers outside his home not be removed because his daughter, who visited Santiniketan periodically, would be inconvenienced.
‘Was Not In India,’ Amartya Sen Debunks Visva Bharati VC’s claim Over Shops Row
Amartya Sen claims that he was abroad when VC received call asking him not to remove shops in Santiniketan. File photo Snigdhendu Bhattacharya 2021-01-01T16:14:09+05:30 ‘Was Not In India,’ Amartya Sen Debunks Visva Bharati VC’s claim Over Shops Row outlookindia.com 2021-01-01T16:16:01+05:30
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Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen has said that he was not in India in June 2019 when, according to Visva-Bharati University’s vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty, the globally acclaimed economics professor made him a phone call, introducing himself as a Bharat Ratna, and urged Chakrabarty not to proceed with the varsity’s hawker eviction plan.
Visva Bharati University issues showcause notice to its faculty chief for alleged code of conduct violation
The university authorities, through the notice issued on December 19, accused Bhattacharyya, president of Visva Bharati University Faculty Association (VBUFA), of interacting with media without the approval of the university authorities. Updated: December 24, 2020 12:14:32 pm
Between December 9 and 18, authorities have come across reports in the print and digital media about internal discussions which was shared allegedly by Bhattacharyya. (Photo via VBU website)
Visva Bharati University (VBU) has issued a show cause notice to the president of its faculty association, Sudipta Bhattacharyya, for allegedly violating the varsity’s code of conduct by reaching out to the media with internal correspondence.