I had a mixed reaction a few weeks ago, when Calcutta University announced a D.Litt. (Honoraria Causa) on Ms. Mamata Banerjee, which they formally awarded yesterday in a glittering function at Kolkata.
Watching the CM of West Bengal from close quarters, one cannot have any second opinion over the reasons of her being conferred the coveted recognition. Mamata, all along has been a fearless fighter for causes that are dear to her. Topping these could be her concern for the poor, the oppressed and the minorities. It was not an easy task to uproot and demolish communism from West Bengal, which held its forte for 34 years, which she did single-handedly.
She has been a Union Minister few times before opting to lead her party in the state, which she succeeded not once but twice. Despite many of her colleagues were caught in alleged acts of corruption, she has been leading a frugal and simple life. If her whimsicality is a bane that she exhibited several times, resigning from the ministry and forsaking her powers over issues she disagreed, it also reveals her human face, transparent and rustic.
Calcutta University, established in 1857 is a celebrated institution with famous alumni like S.N. Bose, Vivekananda, Meghnad Saha and Bankim Chandra and has several laurels to its credit. However, the institution is directly under the Higher Education Ministry and thus comes under the administrative control of the West Bengal Government. The fact that Mamata being the functional head of all her departments, which includes Calcutta University has blunted the value of the conferment, at this juncture. There is also a case filed in the High Court of Calcutta, challenging the conferment of the D. Litt. award, which has been admitted and pending for hearing. These make the conferment a bit uneasy affair, and Didi, rightfully was unwilling to receive the award, but was reportedly persuaded by her party colleagues.
One cannot forget Mamata’s naivety in obtaining a Ph.D, decades ago and embellishing her name with a ‘Dr.’ prefix, to face the embarrassment that the purported university, awarding her the honour never even existed. To me, ‘Didi,’ elder sister, as she is known popularly, has no need to acquire honorary degrees at all. Het struggle and literary pursuits are well known, be it in social service, as a poet or as a painter, though over her literary talents I have little knowledge and thus reserve my comments.
Awarding degrees such should recognise the person, and more importantly should make the institution that confers the award proud. The second part, for reasons explained above has been flouted by the University, its senate and all concerned. Now that it is a fait acompli the award personally handed over by the Governor of West Bengal, the petition in High Court should be gracefully withdrawn by the litigant.
I wish she soon gets a Bharat Ratna to obliterate the cloudiness in this degree conferment.
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide voix
