On September 29th, a memorial meeting to mark the unexpected passing of Professor Arjun Kumar Sengupta, distinguished economist and parliamentarian, was held at the offices of the Joshi Adhikari Instititute of Social Studies at 4 Windsor Place, New Delhi. The meeting was well attended by students and representatives of several organizations. Colleagues and peers of the late Professor, including Com. A.B. Bardhan, General Secretary, Communist Party of India, Com. D. Raja, MP Rajya Sabha, and Shri S.P. Shukla, former Member, Planning Commission were also in attendance, and shared memories of their experiences with Prof. Sengupta. They emphasized the impact of his work on the struggle of the working poor for rights.

“His mark was that his work touched the common man, the truth of their condition. How many studies have been released on poverty? How many estimates made? There is no dearth of economists in our country, and yet Prof. Sengupta’s is the name most often taken within the trade unions and rights struggles. As long as the obsession with GDP-led growth exists, Prof. Sengupta’s work will remain alive”, Bardhan stated. SP Shukla remembered “Prof. Sengupta was a man with an ability to present the most complex issues simply. His voice as an administrator spoke of the marginalized in a way that made the establishment listen. As he grew in learning, his outlook also evolved and gained greater depth over time. The study he is most remembered for, produced late in his career, came out of many years of learning.”

Dr. Patnaik, Director, Joshi-Adhikari Institute said of Prof. Sengupta “He was a dedicated economist and administrator with a clear voice that spoke for the marginalized and was heard by the establishment.” Prof. Subodh Malakar of Jawarharlal Nehru University, and Dr. Jaya Mehta, Economist also recounted their interactions with Prof. Sengupta. “As both an economist and statistician, Prof. Sengupta was able to frame issues with clarity”, Dr. Mehta recounted, “At a meeting in Patna once, there were several of us debating how poverty was to be defined. Suddenly, from the back of the room a voice rang out ‘Define it any way you like. The fact is that 77% of India lives on less than Rs. 20 a day.’ It was Prof. Sengupta. It is for that kind of professional confidence that we will continue to remember him. ”

The meeting was conducted by Prof. Ajay Patnaik. Com. Amarjeet Kaur, CPI, Com. Atul Kumar Anjan, Kissan Sabha, Dr. Sulbha Brahme, Economist, Mr. Ashok Rao,
AIPSN, Dhruva Narayan and Sunita Kumari, Daanish Books, Com. Anil Rajimwale and Com. Krishna Jha, New Age, Asha Mishra, BGVS, Manoj Kulkarni, Janvadi Lekakh Sangh, Vineet Tiwari, PWA, Jitendra, AITUC and GS Roshan, Joshi-Adhikari Institute were among the attendees.

At the conclusion of the meeting the following resolution was passed:-

“In this neo-liberal era amidst the constant refrain of India as an emerging economic power, Prof. Arjun Sengupta will be remembered as a relentless voice for clarity and truth in economic study. As a professor and academician, policymaker, parliamentarian and defender of human rights, he worked dedicatedly for the causes of the poor. His name will remain alive with the findings of Commission on the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS) which constitutes the base for formulating a policy of inclusive development and welfare of the marginalised. The detailed statistical account of the 77% of the Indian population who subsist on below Rs. 20 a day resonated with the common man. It is a bold challenge to those who continue to deny the realities of Indian poverty and a valuable asset for those who work for a better a better and more equal future society.

Professor Sengupta’s unexpected passing on the 26th of September filled us with a sense of loss, but the space he has left behind will be filled by his legacy of determined action towards a more equal society.

We grieve today at that we have lost a friend, colleague and dedicated worker.”