Amlan Dutta
Encyclopedia
Amlan Datta (1924 – 18 February 2010) was an economist and educationist from West Bengal
, India
.
district of Bangladesh
. His father was Ashwini Kumar Datta and mother was Sunitibala Devi. He finished his school at the Ishwar Pathshala at Comilla, took 1st class first in B.A (Hons.) in economics from The Presidency College, Calcutta and 1st class forth in MA from the Calcutta University both with distinction. His wife Mrs Kitty Datta was a Professor of English in Scottish Church college.
After finishing his education in 1946, he started as a lecturer in Ashutosh College, Calcutta, and became a lecturer in Calcutta University in 1948. Though the youngest of the professors of Economics department, he took classes of three of the twelve compulsory half-papers. His three half-papers were Public Finance, Economic Development of selected countries and Thoughts of three Eminent Economists, one of them being Marx. Subsequently he was the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University during 1972–74. He also served as the Vice Chancellor of North Bengal University (1974–77). Then he joined the Gandhian Institute of Studies as Director in 1978 and thereafter, as Vice Chancellor of Visva Bharati University, Shantiniketan. He also taught as Visiting lecturer at Banaras Hindu University
and the University of Brussels.
As a prolific writer on socio-economic, political and philosophical subjects, Datta’s works drew inspiration from Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru. His ideas on the Soviet enigma, the riddle of Gandhism
, East-West blended Nehru’s contribution to democracy and secularism and Tagore’s aesthetic mysticism and universalism. However, his writings fall to note the grave global danger of thanatological terrorism as another aspect of post Marxian materialist dialectics. His collected essays attempt to assess their merits in many proposition and make positive suggestions. He begins: “In theory, Marxist give primacy to economics; in practice, to politics. This, they will protest, is a mechanical distinction; what matters is political economy. How far does that take us? The Indian economy is not homogeneous whole. Nor far that matter are the industrially developed economics one whole.”
An opponent of parochialism and dogmatism, Datta evaluated prevailing political and economic doctrines including Marxist communism. He wrote along these lines for The Radical Humanist, The Economic Weekly, and Thought. One of the stalwarts of the Radical Humanist
movement he was also one of the last survivors of those who had been in the company of M N Roy and Ellen.
He lectured in the United States of America, talked about Mahatma Ghandhi in Australia and lectured about Rabindranath Tagore in China. He talked about economic development and education challenges at many forums in India and abroad (Japan, Denmark and the West Indies). He also represented India at the United Nations Social Development Commission in 1979. He was invited to the “kamala Lecture Series” in 1982 by Calcutta University.
Amlan Dutta's broad field of study and research encompassed not only economics, but also literature, politics, sociology and education, although his views and opinions often became the subject of heated arguments and controversies.
His first book was published in 1953, titled “For Democracy” and copies of the book were sent to Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russel who were then busy preparing the anti-war resolution which was later circulated among the heads of the States. Russell sent a congratulatory letter to the young lecturer. Professor Datta authored 21 books in English and Bengali. He was the joint editor of Quest magazine along with Abu Sayeed Ayub. He was conferred the Ananda Puraskar (1972), Jagattarini Award, Kamala Award and Vidyasagar Award (1999), Desikottam Award (2008).
He died of a massive heart attack at his Salt Lake residence on 18 March 2010.
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Biography
Amlan Datta was an intellectual and scholar, born on 17 June 1924 at Bagichagaon in the ComillaComilla
Comilla is a city in south-eastern Bangladesh, located along the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. It is the administrative center of the Comilla District, part of the Chittagong Division. The Eastern Wing of Bangladesh Highway Police is located in Comilla....
district of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. His father was Ashwini Kumar Datta and mother was Sunitibala Devi. He finished his school at the Ishwar Pathshala at Comilla, took 1st class first in B.A (Hons.) in economics from The Presidency College, Calcutta and 1st class forth in MA from the Calcutta University both with distinction. His wife Mrs Kitty Datta was a Professor of English in Scottish Church college.
After finishing his education in 1946, he started as a lecturer in Ashutosh College, Calcutta, and became a lecturer in Calcutta University in 1948. Though the youngest of the professors of Economics department, he took classes of three of the twelve compulsory half-papers. His three half-papers were Public Finance, Economic Development of selected countries and Thoughts of three Eminent Economists, one of them being Marx. Subsequently he was the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University during 1972–74. He also served as the Vice Chancellor of North Bengal University (1974–77). Then he joined the Gandhian Institute of Studies as Director in 1978 and thereafter, as Vice Chancellor of Visva Bharati University, Shantiniketan. He also taught as Visiting lecturer at Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
and the University of Brussels.
As a prolific writer on socio-economic, political and philosophical subjects, Datta’s works drew inspiration from Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru. His ideas on the Soviet enigma, the riddle of Gandhism
Gandhism
Gandhism is the collection of inspirations, principles, beliefs and philosophy of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , who was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian Independence Movement....
, East-West blended Nehru’s contribution to democracy and secularism and Tagore’s aesthetic mysticism and universalism. However, his writings fall to note the grave global danger of thanatological terrorism as another aspect of post Marxian materialist dialectics. His collected essays attempt to assess their merits in many proposition and make positive suggestions. He begins: “In theory, Marxist give primacy to economics; in practice, to politics. This, they will protest, is a mechanical distinction; what matters is political economy. How far does that take us? The Indian economy is not homogeneous whole. Nor far that matter are the industrially developed economics one whole.”
An opponent of parochialism and dogmatism, Datta evaluated prevailing political and economic doctrines including Marxist communism. He wrote along these lines for The Radical Humanist, The Economic Weekly, and Thought. One of the stalwarts of the Radical Humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
movement he was also one of the last survivors of those who had been in the company of M N Roy and Ellen.
He lectured in the United States of America, talked about Mahatma Ghandhi in Australia and lectured about Rabindranath Tagore in China. He talked about economic development and education challenges at many forums in India and abroad (Japan, Denmark and the West Indies). He also represented India at the United Nations Social Development Commission in 1979. He was invited to the “kamala Lecture Series” in 1982 by Calcutta University.
Amlan Dutta's broad field of study and research encompassed not only economics, but also literature, politics, sociology and education, although his views and opinions often became the subject of heated arguments and controversies.
His first book was published in 1953, titled “For Democracy” and copies of the book were sent to Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russel who were then busy preparing the anti-war resolution which was later circulated among the heads of the States. Russell sent a congratulatory letter to the young lecturer. Professor Datta authored 21 books in English and Bengali. He was the joint editor of Quest magazine along with Abu Sayeed Ayub. He was conferred the Ananda Puraskar (1972), Jagattarini Award, Kamala Award and Vidyasagar Award (1999), Desikottam Award (2008).
He died of a massive heart attack at his Salt Lake residence on 18 March 2010.
Awards and recognitions
- Desikottam Award from Visva Bharati University
- Jagattarini Award and Kamala Award from Calcutta University
- Ananda Puraskar from Anandabazar Group
Bengali
- Ganatantra O Ganayug (1967, Ananda Publishers)
- Teen Diganta (1978, Ananda Publishers)
- Byakti, Yukti, Samaj (1978, Ananda Publishers)
- Kamala Baktrita O Anyanya Bhashan (1984)
- Gandhi O Rabindranath (1986, Ananda Publishers)
- Dwanda O Uttaran (1989, Ananda Publishers)
- Bikalpa Samajer Sandhane (1994, Ananda Publishers)
- Anya Ek Biplab (1999, Ananda Publishers)
- Je Katha Balite Chai (2009, Ananda Publishers)
- Mukti Tore Petei Hobe
English
- Religion, Education and Development (1968)
- The Third Movement (1987, Ananda Publishers)
- A New Radicalism and Other Essays (1989, Minarva – Calcutta)
- For A Quiet Revolution (1997, Papyrus – Calcutta)
- On The Edge of A Century (1999, Subarnarekha – Calcutta)
- Towards The Good Life (Subarnarekha – Calcutta)
- Socialism, Democracy and Industrialization (Allen & Unwin)
- Perspectives of Economic Development (Macmillan)
- Beyond Socialism (Popular Prakashan)
- The Gandhian Way (North Eastern Hill University)
- Transitional Puzzles (Sage Publication)
- Towards an Alternative Economic Order (Aksharmudra - Pune)