Economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on Thursday said India was a united country, giving credence to objections if people from one region of the country were harassed in another.

Sen, who reached Pratichi, his ancestral home in Santiniketan on Thursday evening, commented on a question by reporters regarding the recent incidents of torture of Bengali-speaking people in other states.

“It’s not just about Bengalis. India is a united country. If people from one region are harassed in another part of the country, there is reason to raise objections,” Sen said, adding that he had just reached home and needed to understand the issue (of torture on Bengali-speaking people).

“Be it a Bengali, Marwari, Punjabi, or anyone from any part of India — the first principle is that everyone deserves respect. Especially our fellow citizens — their rights must be acknowledged and valued.... And if Bengalis are subjected to oppression or neglect, then we certainly have a reason to raise objections,” added the 91-year-old economist-philosopher.

The administration, headed by Bolpur subdivisional officer Ayan Nath and subdivisional police officer Rickey Agarwal, welcomed Sen to Santiniketan at his ancestral home. A source close to Sen said he would stay at Pratichi till August 19, but had no scheduled programmes so far.

Though Sen mentioned Bengalis, he expressed his concern for people of all states, stating that the rights of all citizens of the country must be preserved.

“This is not just a Bengali issue — this is a question about the citizens of a united India. As citizens of India, people have the right to be connected and the opportunity to live with joy, which must be respected,” said the Nobel laureate.

“If an Indian citizen from Odisha is being neglected and tortured in Rajasthan, we have the same reason to raise our objections. It is clearly stated in the Constitution that Indians have a right to the entire country. This is not a regional right,” he added.

Sen’s comments come at a time when incidents of torture and harassment of Bengali-speaking people have taken a political turn, with chief minister Mamata Banerjee pitching the narrative against the BJP and calling for a statewide movement to protest the torture of people from Bengal, particularly migrant workers.

On July 28, Mamata began her Bhasha Andolon (language movement) from Santiniketan — the land of Rabindranath Tagore and Sen — and said it would go on till the torture of Bengali-speaking people ended.

Asked about Mamata’s protest, Sen elaborated on the importance of the Bengali language.

“The Bengali language is special and important. It is essential to acknowledge the value of this language, which originated in the 11th century with the Charyapada. Over time, various poems and literary works were written in it, including the works of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, whose messages were presented to us in a very clear way. We must value these contributions,” said the economist.

“And when such values are neglected, that neglect is significant. A language deserves proper recognition, and when that recognition is denied, it leads to serious disregard — and surely, there is a reason to end it,” he added.