On Tuesday, an SIR hearing notice was issued to Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen by the Election Commission. Questions are being raised over why such a notice was served to a globally respected scholar. On Wednesday morning, three district administration officials, including a Booth Level Officer, visited Sen's residence, 'Pratichi', in Santiniketan. However, it later emerged that Amartya Sen is currently abroad, though the visit did little to calm the controversy.
Why was Amartya Sen served a notice?
Sources said the notice was sent due to a 'logical discrepancy' in official records. Sen's close associate Gitikantha Majumdar explained that the notice mentioned an incorrect age gap between Sen and his mother, Amita Sen. According to him, Amita Sen was born in 1914 and was 19 years and six months old when Amartya Sen was born. He alleged that her birth year was wrongly changed to 1918, leading to the notice being issued. Sen or his authorised representative has reportedly been asked to appear at the BDO office by January 16 with documents for correction.
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Trinamool criticises move
The issue soon entered the political arena. Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee raised the matter during his visit to Birbhum, calling it unfortunate that even a person like Amartya Sen, who has brought global recognition to India, was being served such notices. His comments added to the growing criticism.
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Many have said that it is shameful that a Nobel laureate has been asked to explain such details. Others argued that rules apply equally to everyone and any discrepancy must be examined. The Election Commission has not yet issued an official clarification, though reports suggest the confusion may have been caused by software errors or mistakes in translation from Bengali to English.
