Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen on Friday while delivering a public lecture at Kolkata’s Jadavpur University(JU) said that ‘Jai Shri Ram’ has never been associated with the Bengali culture and is used as “a pretext to beat up people” , unlike the phrase ‘Maa Durga’ which is a more common phrase.
He further said; ““I asked my four-year-old grandchild who is your favourite deity? She took a while and said: Maa Durga,….So, the stature that Maa Durga enjoys here cannot be compared to Ram Navami. These are recent imports to wage a war.”
The economist said that he had never heard of a celebration over ‘Ram Navami’ in Bengal before and claimed it of being a comparatively newer form of celebration in the state.
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According to sources, he spoke about his disapproval over the increase in the income level of the poor and it having no effect in curbing their plight, and that poverty should be aimed to provide basic education, social security and healthcare.
Sen’s comments over the issue of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ comes with a great social momentum as in the recent past West Bengal has recorded a number of different incidents where people have been forcefully asked to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ against their will.
BJP MP Babul Supriyo, took to twitter and expressed his regressive views against Amartya Sen’s statement.
It’s Sir’s @amartya Sen) age speaking not his mind or else he wud hv understood that, in Bengal ‘JaiShreeRam’ is more a Symbolic Phrase of Protest than it is abt religion! #JaiShreeRam is surely not used “to beat people up” rather it’s 2 stand up against those who torture #TMchhi pic.twitter.com/bjPbv3WjGj
— Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) July 6, 2019
Utterly sad that he makes such a comment but never utters a single word against all the #TMchhi atrocity against Bangalis in every sphere of life•A Noble Laureate who educated the world abt society&it’s behavioural patterns remained quiet abt WB’s plight under the Mamta-TMchhi
— Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) July 6, 2019