Jai Shri Ram is not associated with Bengali culture: Nobel laureate Amartya Sen

Amartya Said that even Ram Navami is "gaining popularity" in West Bengal nowadays and he had "never heard of it before". Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen on Friday said that 'Jai Shri Ram' was never a part of West Bengal’s culture and it is used as "a pretext to beat up people". It is 'Maa Durga' who is omnipresent in the lives of Bengalis, Sen said while speaking at a programme in the Jadavpur University here. "What I feel is slogans like Jai Sri Ram are used as pretexts to beat up people," the economist said. Sen's comment came in the backdrop of a section of the people in several parts of the country forcing others to chant 'Jai Sri Ram' and beating them up if they refuse. Speaking on poverty, Sen said only rising income level of the poor people would not reduce their plight. "Poverty can be reduced by basic healthcare, proper education and social security," he added. When the whole of West Bengal is chanting that slogan [Jai Shri Ram], he remains in denial. People of Bengal have rejected such pro-communist secularists and ensured that only Jai Shri Ram chant reverberates across the state," Dilip Ghosh said. Union Minister Babul Supriyo said, "I would like to congratulate Mr. Sen for having won the Nobel prize and making Bengalis proud.