Strip Amartya Sen of Bharat Ratna, says Chandan Mitra
The Hindu, NEW DELHI
BJP
Rajya Sabha MP and proprietor-editor-in-chief of The Pioneer newspaper Chandan Mitra has demanded that Nobel Laureate Amartya
Sen be stripped of his Bharat Ratna.
The
renowned economist had said in a recent interview that he would not like to see
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the country’s Prime Minister. This
riled Mr. Mitra, who tweeted: “Is Sen even a voter in India India
This
sparked several reactions on Mr. Mitra’s timeline, with people questioning if
the BJP was now against freedom of expression. The MP, however, stuck to his
line, adding, “Those who are upset with my suggestion about Dr. Sen and Bharat
Ratna, can you show me examples of others who do party politics after getting
BR?” He went on to say that the award was a jewel of the country, and ‘Sen
shouldn’t join the Congress poll team.’
Dr.Sen,
while releasing a book, An Uncertain Glory, spoke of the
deprivations that persisted in India
Chandan Mitra's remarks on Amartya Sen personal opinion: BJP
Thursday, Jul 25, 2013, 22:26 IST | Place: New Delhi | Agency: IANS
Mitra's remarks had stoked a controversy with the Congress
terming it an insult of the highest civilian award and a reflection of fascist
mentality.
The BJP Thursday distanced itself from party MP Chandan
Mitra's demand to strip Nobel laureate Amartya Sen of the Bharat Ratna for his
anti-Narendra Modi remarks, terming it his "personal opionion".
"It is Mr Mitra's personal opinion," Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) leader Murli Manohar Joshi told reporters in answer to a
query on the issue.
Mitra's remarks had stoked a controversy with the Congress
terming it an insult of the highest civilian award and a reflection of fascist
mentality.
In tweets Wednesday, Mitra said the next Nationalist Democratic
Alliance (NDA) government should strip Sen of Bharat Ratna.
Amartya Sen had said in a TV interview that he did not want
Modi to be prime minister of the country in view of his "record"
during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Though Mitra had said that his tweets were concering Sen
were his "personal" opinion and had nothing to do with the party, BJP
spoksperson Meenakshi Lekhi had supprted him.
Ready to return Bharat Ratna if Vajpayee says so: Amartya
Sen
TNN | Jul 26, 2013, 02.48 AM IST
NEW DELHI: An anguished Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on
Thursday said he was ready to give up the Bharat Ratna — a demand made by BJP's
Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra — if former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
asked him to do so.
Sen was replying to Mitra's controversial suggestion on
Wednesday which triggered a political storm and forced the BJP to distance
itself from the demand. Mitra said if the NDA were to come to power then Sen
should be stripped of the highest civilian honour because Sen did not want to
see Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India.
"Mr Chandan Mitra may not know that the Bharat Ratna
was given to me by the BJP-led government and was handed to me by Atal Bihari
Vajpayee. If Mr Vajpayee wants me to return it, I will certainly return
it," Sen told Times Now on Thursday.
The eminent economist said it was unfortunate that such a
demand had been made by Mitra, and said it was a "personal" attack.
"To get into a political debate, and somebody takes a view which seems to
me is rather unfair," Sen said. He said it was unfortunate and unfair to
all people involved in the debate. "It is so unproductive actually,"
Sen said.
The Harvard
University
BJP distances itself from Mitra's views
Even as political parties ripped into the BJP for a party
MP's demand that Nobel laureate Amartya Sen be stripped of his Bharat Ratna,
the saffron outfit quickly distanced itself from the comment with senior
leaders insisting that this was the lawmaker's personal view.
Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra had made the remark after Sen
said he did not want Gujarat chief minister
Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister. Seeking to know if Sen was even a voter in
India ,
Mitra had said the NDA, if it came to power, should strip him of the Bharat
Ratna.
BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said, "The Bharat
Ratna debate is unfortunate. BJP is not a part of it. Views expressed by
members can only be construed as their personal opinion."
I&B minister Manish Tewari said, "Modi and his
party consider their freedom to speak important but do not believe the same for
others," he said.
Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed tweeted, "Amartya Sen
doesn't want Modi as PM, rates him below Nitish. For this sin, BJP wants to
strip his Bharat Ratna. Isn't it height of intolerance?"
CPM leader Brinda Karat said, "It is ridiculous for
Chandan Mitra to think that the Bharat Ratna is a gift you give and take away
at will. His own government gave it to him. Sen did not ask for it."
Brinda said Mitra's demand revealed BJP's mindset that "no one can have
political view unless it coincides with them". She said getting Bharat
Ratna did not mean a person could not have political views. "What if Sen
had praised Modi?" she asked. CPI's D Raja said, "Chandan Mitra has
gone too far. He can criticize Sen but there was no need to get personal."
Sen offered to return the Bharat Ratna if Atal Bihari
Vajpayee asked him to do so. "Mr Chandan Mitra may not know that the
Bharat Ratna was given to me by the BJP-led government and was handed to me by
Atal Bihari Vajpayee. If Mr Vajpayee wants me to return it, I will certainly
return it," Sen told Times Now.
Sen-Bhagwati debate
Many saw the slugfest between Mitra and Sen as an extension
of an ongoing debate between Sen and another eminent economist, Jagdish
Bhagwati.
While Sen has been showcasing the Kerala model of
development, where effective government spending in social welfare has led to
improved quality of life, Bhagwati has been backing the Gujarat
model, of laissez-faire growth which will lead to better welfare for people.
On Thursday, Bhagwati too joined the debate saying that he
too wasn't for Modi.
"I am not going to vote for Modi. I have no particular
affection for him. But I have no particular affection for Rahul Gandhi
also," he said.
"I want all of the progressive people, no matter which
party they belong to, to look at the ideas we are proposing and show where they
stand and what they are going to do with these ideas," Bhagwati told a TV
channel.
"What has happened in Gujarat
is that relatively rapid growth has taken place. He has actually been very good
about getting licence cleared very fast, he has added to electricity supply
which is a big problem... All of which is exactly the way development takes
place and then I also find that social progress has taken place," Bhagwati
said about Modi's governance.
Times View
To insist that a person should cease to have or express
political opinions because he has been conferred the Bharat Ratna makes no
sense. It would be strange for a democracy to suggest that a person should lose
his right to such expression once he is recognized as a national treasure. But
what is more worrying about the demand for Amartya Sen to be stripped of his
award is what it tells us about those making the demand.
Clearly, they have no compunctions about seeking to muzzle
even someone of the Nobel laureate's eminence. Can we then expect them to treat
the populace at large in a more democratic spirit?
I don't want Narendra Modi as my PM: Amartya Sen
PTI Jul 22, 2013, 04.58PM IST
The prominent economist also criticised Modi's model of
governance saying he did not approve of it.
"Yes, I don't want him," Sen told a news channel
in reply to a question on whether he wanted him as his prime minister.
"As an Indian citizen I don't want Modi as my PM... He
has not done enough to make minorities feel safe," he said.
On being asked why he did not want so, Sen said, "He
could have first of all been more secular and he could have made the minority
community feel more secure."
"No, I don't approve of it... I don't think the record
is very good. I think I don't have to be a member of the minority in order to
feel insecure... We Indians don't want a situation where the minority feel
insecure and could legitimately think that there was an organised violence
against them in 2002. I think that is a terrible record and I don't think
Indian Prime Minister as an Indian citizen... Of who has that kind of record.
No, I do not."
Sen said physical infrastructure in Gujarat
may be good but Modi has not done enough for minorities or for the majority. He
also said that the Gujarat model needs to do
much more on the health and education sectors and bring equity.
He said Modi could have made the majority community feel
that they are not maltreating the minority and going against the long Indian
tradition of being tolerant.
"He could have also taken both of the facts that Gujarat
record in education and healthcare is pretty bad and he has to concentrate on
that... as much as he is concentrating quietly as it has happened on physical
infrastructure," the Nobel laureate said.
BJP recently anointed Modi as chairman of its election
campaign committee.
Asked to make a comparison between Modi and Nitish Kumar,
Sen said, "That comparison is slightly unfair. Nitish is dealing with the
poorest in India ,
Modi is dealing with a relatively richer state. They have a long history of
business success. I think in his condition Nitish is showing a great vision. In
a way that will be very important for the future of Bihar ."
He also lauded Kumar's model of governance in Bihar , saying his record is "very good".
"Bihar is the worst
state in the country...Nitish Kumar's focus on education and healthcare is
definitely admired and efficient. What he is doing, he is trying to learn more
from Japan , Korea , Taiwan ,
Hong Kong and Singapore .
He is trying to have an educated, healthy labour force. The basis for it - high
capital growth rate. That has worked again and again across the world. Yes, I
do think his record at this moment is very good," Sen said.
The noted economist also said the poor should vote as per
their interest rather than voting for food, education or healthcare offered to
them as subsidies.
"I'm asking for an intelligent thinking of what justice
demands... What I want is people should look into their needs but not overlook
every time fiscal issue is raised and not say we can't do this for poor because
we can't afford it."
He said though the middle class is surrounded by subsidies
yet it opposes schemes for the poor and talk about fiscal responsibility arises
when there is a scheme for the poor. "I find the double standards of the
prosperous very worrying," Sen said.
He said he has always opposed licence raj but would support
it for providing nourishment and healthcare to the poor. "I have never
been a supporter of licence raj. Now because I say I want nourishment and
health for the poor, I am supposed to be an advocate for license raj," he
said.
My statement on Narendra Modi doesn't endorse UPA, Amartya
Sen tells NDTV: Highlights
Edited by Diana George | Updated: July 25, 2013 19:21 IST
Noted economist Dr Amartya Sen today spoke to NDTV on the
debate surrounding his comment on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying
that Bharatiya Janata Party leader Chandan Mitra had the right to say what he
wanted about him. Mr Mitra had tweeted that Dr Sen should be stripped of his
Bharat Ratna for his remarks against Mr Modi.
Following are the highlights from Dr Amartya Sen's interview
to NDTV:
I haven't endorsed the UPA government. There are thing to learn from Narendra Modi
but I don't think he'll be a good PM.
I don't regret what I have said. My remark was concerned
only with Narendra Modi, not BJP.
Surprised and disappointed at Chandan Mitra's statement.
I have a right to say as an Indian citizen, I can talk about
the kind of Prime Minister I want.
Chandan Mitra has the right to say that Bharat Ratna should
be stripped.
Whether he can do it or not is unclear. He can express his
view.
I did not endorse the UPA government.
I am learning new things about myself every time I open a
newspaper
I am learning new things about myself every time I open a
newspaper
My remark on Modi doesn't mean I'm endorsing the UPA
government
Had the opportunity of talking to LK Advani, Jaswant Singh,
Yashwant Sinha when I received my Bharat Ratna and Nobel prize
Many things to learn from Narendra Modi but don't know if he
can be PM or not
Did not say anything about BJP, if that's how Chandan Mitra
interpreted it
It's not an ethical mistake
I'm not saying I'm going to vote for BJP
Being a Bengali, most of us don't vote for BJP
Statement was only what it said, it was about Modi
I don't regret the statement, it doesn't endorse the UPA
Doing things targeting a particular community which is
defined by their birth is wrong. You cannot justify that.
It raises a question whether that kind of a vote-bank is the
right thing to do.
Congress also has policies aimed at getting Muslim support.
Not really bothered about whether Bharat Ratna is taken away
from me or not.
I'm proud of being an Indian. We have a tradition of
secularism.
I stand in long queues before entering any country. Don't
mind standing in the same queue where my fellow countrymen are standing, it'll
be a matter of pride
1984 riots is a crying shame, those guilty were not put to
trial. Is Congress to be blamed for that? Absolutely. Is the blame being
cleaned up with the passage of time? Not at all. Have I written about it
extensively? Absolutely.
We haven't had a political discussion yet. I do believe in
argumentative Indian, I like to hear the arguments. On the basis of these
arguments, I will decide.
I don't want to express any point of view for who should be
PM without listening to any arguments. I'm not a Prime Minister diviner.
If poverty number falls from 22 to 12 but we still have
one-third of women illiterate, one-fourth of men illiterate, no decent medical
treatment, no matter what the poverty number is, I will say it is achievement
enough.
We're concerned with longevity, human health, education.
Even after literacy rate going up, longevity rate going up,
even after base poverty number goes down, is the picture still abysmal? Yes.
I haven't seen any evidence that this new poverty line is a
conspiracy. Poverty is not judged only by income. Life expectancy has gone up,
has overtaken Bangladesh .
Illiteracy base has come down. Poverty line debate distracts attention from the
enormity of the subject and seriousness of the problem.
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