Memoirs

by Sen Amartya

The extraordinary early life in India and England of one of the world's leading public intellectuals

Where is 'home'? For Amartya Sen, home has been many places - Dhaka in modern Bangladesh, the little university town of Santiniketan, where he was raised as much by his grandparents as by his parents, Calcutta where he first studied economics and was active in student movements, and Trinity College, Cambridge, to which he came aged 19.

Sen brilliantly recreates the atmosphere in each of these. He remembers his river journeys between Dhaka and his parents' ancestral homes and wonderfully explores the rich history and culture of Bengal. In 1943 he witnessed the disastrous unfolding of the Bengal Famine, and the following year the inflaming of tensions between Hindus and Muslims. In the years before Independence, some of his family were imprisoned for their opposition to British rule.

Central to Sen's formation was the intellectually liberating school in Santiniketan founded by Rabindranath Tagore (who gave him his name Amartya) and exciting conversations in the Coffee House on College Street in Calcutta. In Cambridge, he engaged with many of the leading economists and philosophers of the day, especially with the great Marxist thinker Piero Sraffa, who provided a direct connection not only to Wittgenstein, but to Antonio Gramsci and the anti-fascist battles in Italy in the 1920s. After years in Europe and America, the book ends when he returns to Delhi in 1963.

Home in the World shows how Sen's experience shaped his ideas - about economics, philosophy, identity, community, famines, gender inequality, social choice and the power of discussion in public life. The joys of learning and the importance of friendship are powerfully conveyed. He invokes some of the great thinkers of the past and his own time - from Ashoka in the third century BC and Akbar in the sixteenth, to David Hume, Adam Smith, Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes, Maurice Dobb, Kenneth Arrow and Eric Hobsbawm. Above all, Sen emphasises the importance of enlarging our views as much as we can, of human sympathy and understanding across time and distance, and of being at home in the world.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Economics, India, History, Autobiography

Paperback

First published July 8, 2021

Reviews

[Arupratan · Rating 5 out of 5]

দ্বিতীয় বিশ্বযুদ্ধ তখন পুরোদমে চলছে। প্রায় গোটা পৃথিবী মেতে আছে অভূতপূর্ব ধ্বংসলীলায়। অমর্ত্য সেন সেই সময় মাত্র বছর-দশেকের একজন বালক। পুরোনো ঢাকায় নিজের পৈতৃক বাড়ি এবং ঢাকার লক্ষ্মীবাজারের সেইন্ট গ্রিগোরি স্কুল ত্যাগ করে (মূলত যুদ্ধের কারণেই) শান্তিনিকেতনের স্কুলে এসে ভর্তি হয়েছেন। বসবাস করছিলেন তাঁর দাদু-দিদিমার সঙ্গে (দাদু ছিলেন প্রবাদপ্রতিম পণ্ডিত ক্ষিতিমোহন সেন)। দ্বিতীয় বিশ্বযুদ্ধের সরাসরি কোনো প্রভাব তখনও শান্তিনিকেতনে এসে পৌঁছায়নি।

১৯৪৩ সালের বসন্তকালে, বছরের যে-সময়টাতে সাধারণত শান্তিনিকেতনে উৎসবের মরশুম চলে, হঠাৎ একদিন সেখানে একজন পাগলের উদয় হলো। অপ্রকৃতিস্থ উন্মাদ একজন মানুষ। ছেলেছোকরাদের যেমন কাজ, তারা সেই পাগলকে উত্যক্ত করতে শুরু করলো। খোঁজখবর নিয়ে জানা গ্যালো, মানুষটা আদপে পাগল নন। একমাসেরও বেশি সময় তিনি অভুক্ত অবস্থায় রয়েছেন। দীর্ঘদিন আহারের অভাবে সাময়িক মস্তিষ্কবিকৃতি ঘটেছে তাঁর। ১৯৪৩ সালের ভয়াবহ দুর্ভিক্ষের সঙ্গে এভাবেই প্রথম প্রত্যক্ষ পরিচয় ঘটেছিলো অমর্ত্য সেনের।

এই একটি ঘটনা অমর্ত্যের ভবিষ্যত জীবন এবং চিন্তাভাবনার মূল লক্ষ্যটি নির্ধারণ করে দিয়েছিলো। অমর্ত্য সেনের এই আত্মজীবনী আর-পাঁচটা আত্মজীবনীর চেয়ে অনেকটাই আলাদা। অনেক পাঠক হয়তো একে আত্মজীবনী বলেই মানতে চাইবেন না (কিংবা পড়ার পরে হতাশ হবেন)। এই বইতে, পারিবারিক কিংবা ব্যক্তিগত জীবনের "গোপন" বৃত্তান্ত, অথবা স্বীকারোক্তিমূলক সাহসী আত্মউন্মোচন করার কাজ থেকে বিরত থেকেছেন তিনি। নিজের পরম ব্যক্তিগত জীবনকে ব্যক্তিগতই রেখেছেন। কোনও চমকপ্রদ এবং উত্তেজক তথ্যই যদি না-পাওয়া গ্যালো তাহলে এই আত্মজীবনী পাঠ করে আমাদের লাভ কী?

১৭৭৬ সালে অ্যাডাম স্মিথের লেখা সুবিখ্যাত "Wealth of Nations" বইটি প্রকাশের মধ্যে দিয়ে, তাত্ত্বিকভাবে "ক্লাসিকাল অর্থনীতি"র ভিত্তি স্থাপন করা হয়। আবহমানকাল ধরে চলে আসতে থাকা রাজতান্ত্রিক এবং জমিদারতান্ত্রিক অর্থব্যবস্থার বেড়াজাল থেকে মুক্তি পেয়ে ইয়োরোপের মানুষ তখন বাজারতান্ত্রিক পুঁজিবাদী অর্থনীতি বা market capitalism-কে সাদরে বরণ করে নিয়েছিল।

এই নতুন ধরণের অর্থনীতির প্রাণভোমরা ছিলো "পুঁজি", অর্থাৎ ক্যাপিটাল। এই অর্থনীতির উদ্দেশ্য ছিলো বাজারের চাহিদা (demand) এবং যোগান (supply)— এই দুই অবস্থার মধ্যে সহাবস্থান বজায় রাখা। মোদ্দা হিসেবে একেই বলে "ক্লাসিকাল অর্থনীতি"। কিন্তু বিংশ শতকের শুরুতে, প্রথম বিশ্বযুদ্ধের মতো ভয়াবহ একটি ঘটনা ঘটে যাওয়ার পরে সমগ্র পৃথিবীব্যাপী অর্থনৈতিক গতিপ্রকৃতির আমূল পরিবর্তন সূচিত হয়।

আমরা সবাই জানি, প্রথম বিশ্বযুদ্ধের পরে ১৯১৯ সালে, "ভার্সাই চুক্তি" নামের একটা বালখিল্য ব্যবস্থার দ্বারা যুদ্ধের সমস্ত দায়ভার জার্মানির ঘাড়ে চাপিয়ে দেওয়া হয়েছিল। এই অপমানজনক চুক্তির পরিণতি ছিলো সুদূরপ্রসারী এবং এই চুক্তি ছিলো দ্বিতীয় বিশ্বযুদ্ধের অন্যতম প্রধান কারণ। মানুষের ইতিহাসে সবচেয়ে বিধ্বংসী সেই দ্বিতীয় বিশ্বযুদ্ধ যখন শেষ হলো, তখন দেখা গ্যালো, অর্থনৈতিক জগৎ দুটো ভাগে বিভক্ত হয়ে গেছে।

একটা ভাগে ক্যাপিটালিস্ট বাজারনির্ভর অর্থনীতির মূল তত্ত্বগুলোকে সামান্য পরিবর্তন করে নিয়ে নাম দেওয়া হলো নিও-ক্লাসিকাল বা নব্য-ক্লাসিকাল অর্থনীতি। আরেক ভাগে বলা হলো, "পয়সার জোর যার, বাজার তার"— ক্যাপিটালিস্ট অর্থনীতির এই অবধারিত নিয়মটা সমাজে মারাত্মক অসাম্য তৈরি করেছে। বড়লোক মালিক আর গরীব কর্মচারীর মধ্যে দূরত্ব ক্রমশ বেড়ে যাচ্ছে। সুতরাং ক্যাপিটালিস্ট অর্থনীতির বিকল্প হিসেবে সমাজতান্ত্রিক (সোশ্যালিস্ট) অর্থনীতিকে মান্যতা দেওয়া হলো।

এই সমাজতান্ত্রিক অর্থনীতির নিয়মকানুনের মুখ্য প্রণেতা যে ছিলেন কার্ল হেইনরিখ মার্ক্স নামের একজন লন্ডনপ্রবাসী জার্মান ভদ্রলোক, এই কথাটা আলাদা করে না বললেও চলে। দ্বিতীয় বিশ্বযুদ্ধের পরে, গত শতকের একটা বড়ো সময়জুড়ে বাজারতান্ত্রিক এবং সমাজতান্ত্রিক অর্থনীতি— এই দুই নীতির তাত্ত্বিকরা পরস্পরের মধ্যে হাতাহাতি করে কাটিয়েছেন। হাতাহাতিতে কারও জয়লাভ হয়নি বটে, কিন্তু একটা খুব গুরুত্বপূর্ণ ব্যাপার বোঝা গেছে।

গুরুত্বপূর্ণ ব্যাপারটা হলো, এই দুই অর্থনীতির কোনোটাই সাধারণ মানুষকে গুরুত্ব দ্যায় না। সাধারণ মানুষ মানে আপনি, আমি, এবং আমাদের মতো গুরুত্বহীন মানুষশাবকের দল। ক্যাপিটালিজম চায় বড়লোকরা আরো বড়লোক হোক। বাজারের সংখ্যা আরো বৃদ্ধি পাক। সমাজতান্ত্রিক অর্থনীতি চায় গভর্নমেন্টের হস্তক্ষেপে দেশের সার্বিক অর্থনীতির উন্নয়ন হোক ("উন্নয়ন" শব্দটা শুনলে আমার আজকাল ভয় লাগে)। ধনী-গরীব ভেদাভেদ ঘুচে যাক। কিন্তু সোশ্যালিস্ট অর্থনীতিতে ব্যক্তিস্বাতন্ত্র্যের বিশেষ মূল্য নেই! এখানেই প্রশ্ন ওঠে, আমি কী চাই? দেশের উন্নতি হলে আমার কী ঘোড়ার ডিম হবে?

এইখানে অনেকে বলবেন, এটা একটা কথা হলো? দেশের উন্নতি হলে তো সেই দেশের মানুষেরও উন্নতি হবে। আচ্ছা সত্যিই কি তাই? উদাহরণ হিসেবে ধরা যাক, ভারতের সামগ্রিক GDP বৃদ্ধি পেলে কিংবা সরকারি হিসেব অনুযায়ী মানুষের গড় আয় বৃদ্ধি পেলেই কি ধরে নিতে হবে যে দেশের সকল মানুষের মধ্যে সম্পদের সমান-সমান বণ্টন হয়েছে? দেশের সব মানুষ একইরকম সুবিধে ভোগ করছে? এই বিষয়টা নিয়ে নতুন করে তর্ক করার প্রয়োজন নেই, কারণ রাষ্ট্রের GDP'র হিসেব আর রাষ্ট্রের সাধারণ জনগণের জীবনযাপনের অবস্থার মধ্যে যে অনেক ফারাক আছে, সেটা এখন একটা শিশুও বুঝে গেছে।

এই দুইরকম প্রচলিত অর্থব্যবস্থার পাশাপাশি, ধীরে ধীরে উঠে এসেছে তৃতীয় একটি বিকল্প। অমর্ত্য সেন যখন অর্থনীতি নিয়ে পড়াশুনা করার জন্যে কেমব্রিজ বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ে গেছিলেন, ঠিক সেই সময়ে এই তৃতীয় বিকল্পটি নিয়ে তাত্ত্বিক অর্থনীতিবিদরা চিন্তাভাবনা শুরু করেছিলেন। গত শতকের তিরিশের দশকে বিশ্বজুড়ে অর্থনৈতিক বিপর্যয়ের সময়ে, জন মেইনার্ড কেইন্স নামের একজন ব্রিটিশ অর্থনীতিবিদ এই তৃতীয় বিকল্পটির বীজ বপন করেছিলেন।

বিলেত যাওয়ার আগে, কলকাতার প্রেসিডেন্সি কলেজে পড়াশুনা করার সময় থেকেই অমর্ত্য সেন এই বিকল্প তত্ত্বটির ব্যাপারে খোঁজখবর নিয়েছিলেন, বইপত্র পড়েছিলেন। আত্মজীবনীতে তিনি নিজেই মন্তব্য করেছেন, কলকাতায় ছাত্রাবস্থায় তাঁর চিন্তাজগতের নায়ক ছিলেন ইতালীয় অর্থনীতিবিদ পিয়েরো স্রাফা (Piero Sraffa)। এই স্রাফা ছিলেন জন মেইনার্ড কেইন্সের খুব ঘনিষ্ঠ বন্ধু। কেমব্রিজে পড়াশুনা করতে গিয়ে অমর্ত্য সেন পিয়েরো স্রাফাকেই নিজের অ্যাকাডেমিক তত্ত্বাবধায়ক হিসেবে পেলেন। কেমন সৌভাগ্যের কথা!

নিজের এই সৌভাগ্যকে অমর্ত্য সেন পুরোদস্তুর কাজে লাগিয়েছিলেন। আমি এর আগেও অমর্ত্য সেনের বিভিন্ন লেখাতে পড়েছি, তিনি বাঙালির আড্ডা-আলোচনা-তর্ক-বিতর্কের জাতিগত স্বভাবটিকে অত্যন্ত শ্রদ্ধা করে থাকেন। তর্কবিতর্ক বা argument হলো ভারতের চিরাচরিত দার্শনিক বিচার ও শিক্ষাপদ্ধতির একটি সুপ্রাচীন প্রকরণ। বইতে অসংখ্যবার তিনি উল্লেখ করেছেন, জীবনের শুরুতে শান্তিনিকেতনে এবং তারপর কলকাতার কলেজ স্ট্রিটের কফিহাউস এবং অন্যান্য আড্ডার আসরগুলো তাঁর নিজের বুদ্ধিমত্তা এবং চিন্তাক্ষমতার বিকাশে কতটা অবদান রেখেছিল।

কেমব্রিজে পড়াশুনা করতে গিয়েও তিনি সমগোত্রীয় একটি সুস্থ বিতর্কের পরিবেশ লাভ করেছিলেন। যেখানে সম্পূর্ণ বিপরীত মতবাদের মানুষরা নিজেদের মধ্যে আলোচনায় মগ্ন হন— শুধুই তর্ক�� জয়লাভ করার উদ্দেশ্যে নয়— বরং তাঁদের নিজস্ব ধারণাকে আরো প্রখর করে তোলার উদ্দেশ্যে। নতুন কিছু শেখার উদ্দেশ্যে। এই আড্ডা-আলোচনার প্রসঙ্গেই অমর্ত্য সেন শুনিয়েছেন তাঁর শিক্ষা এবং কর্মজীবনের অগণিত শিক্ষক, বন্ধু, সহপাঠী এবং ছাত্রদের বৃত্তান্ত। তাঁদের বিচিত্র চিন্তাভাবনার কথা। এটাই অমর্ত্য সেনের এই আত্মজীবনীর সবচেয়ে আকর্ষণীয় বৈশিষ্ট্য।

বইটি পড়তে পড়তে আমার বারবার মনে হয়েছে, মুক্ত, উদার এবং গঠনমূলক আলোচনার সেই লোভনীয় জগৎটা আজ পৃথিবী থেকে বিদায় নিয়েছে। বদলে এসেছে সোশ্যাল মিডিয়ায় troll, meme, status, tweet, post-ভিত্তিক একটা অসুস্থ, অগভীর এবং চটকদার চিন্তাব্যবস্থা। এই ব্যবস্থায় যে যতো বেশি তাৎক্ষণিক চটক বিতরণ করতে পারে, যে যতো বেশি মানুষকে আঘাত দিতে পারে, বাঁকা কথা বলতে পারে, সে তত like কিংবা ফলোয়ার লাভ করে (এবং এতেই তাদের মোক্ষলাভ ঘটে)। আমরা এখন চিন্তার "আদান-প্রদান" করিনা, শুধুই "প্রদান" করি। এবং আমাদের নিজের মতামতের সঙ্গে যাদের মতের মিল হয়না, তৎক্ষণাৎ তাদের গর্দান নিয়ে নিই। I am so cool and the rest is fool. সবকিছুই অবশ্য কম্পিউটার কিংবা মোবাইলের স্ক্রিনের পিছনে মুখ লুকিয়ে করা হয়।

যাই হোক, এই বইটির আরেকটা বড়ো প্রাপ্তি হলো, অর্থনীতির সেই তৃতীয় বিকল্পটি যখন ধীরে ধীরে মূলস্রোতে গ্রহণযোগ্যতা লাভ করছে, সেই সময়টার এবং সেই পরিবেশটার প্রত্যক্ষ বিবরণ দিয়েছেন অমর্ত্য সেন। তিনি নিজেও সেই তৃতীয় বিকল্পটির সঙ্গে নিজের চিন্তা এবং কর্মজীবনকে সম্পৃক্ত করে নিয়েছিলেন। তৃতীয় বিকল্পটির নাম : "কল্যাণমূলক অর্থনীতি" (welfare economics)। এই অর্থনীতির বৈশিষ্ট্য হলো, এতে পুঁজি, বাজার, উন্নয়ন, রাষ্ট্র, মুনাফা, এইসবকিছুর বাইরেও আরেকটা বিষয়কে গুরুত্ব দেওয়া হয়, তার নাম - মানুষ। মানুষ মানে শুধুই গোটা মানবসমাজ নয়, একজন একক ব্যক্তিমানুষকেও গুরুত্ব দেওয়া হয়। "A stupid common man!"

গোটা সমাজ কী চাইছে, ক্যানো চাইছে, কীভাবে আচরণ করছে— তার চেয়েও বেশি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ একজন একক মানুষ কী চাইছে, ক্যানো চাইছে, কীভাবে আচরণ করছে। কারণ আমাদের প্রত্যেকের অনেকগুলো আলাদা আলাদা পরিচয় আছে। এবং প্রতিটা পরিচয়ের স্বতন্ত্র মূল্য আছে। আপনি একইসঙ্গে একজন বাঙালি, হিন্দু, মেয়ে, গ্র্যাজুয়েট, বেকার, কবি, অমুকের প্রেমিকা, অমুকের ভগিনী, তমুকের কন্যা, সমকামী, ঈশ্বরবিশ্বাসী এবং আর্জেন্টিনা ফুটবল টিমের সমর্থক হতে পারেন (পরিচয়ের সংখ্যা আরো অনেক বাড়তে পারে)। অন্য কেউ না-বুঝুক, আপনি জানেন, আপনার কাছে এই প্রতিটি পরিচয় গুরুত্বপূর্ণ। আপনার সমগ্র জীবন, আপনার কাজকর্ম, আপনার সিদ্ধান্ত, আপনার অতীত-বর্তমান-ভবিষ্যতকে চালনা করছে আপনার এই পরিচয়গুলো। এগুলো একটাও বাদ দেওয়া যাবে না।

অর্থনীতির উপর মানুষের এই স্বতন্ত্র ব্যক্তিপরিচিতি এবং ব্যক্তির পছন্দ-অপছন্দ কীভাবে প্রভাব ফ্যালে? খুব সাধারণভাবে বলতে গেলে, এটাই ছিল অমর্ত্য সেনের মৌলিক গবেষণার বিষয়। যেখানে একটা দেশের মানুষের সামগ্রিক পছন্দ-অপছন্দের হিসেবনিকেশ করাই একটা মুশকিলের ব্যাপার, সেখানে মাত্র একজন মানুষকে ক্যানো গুরুত্ব দেওয়া হবে? কারণ, গুরুত্ব দেওয়া উচিত। এটাই কল্যাণমূলক অর্থনীতির মূল উদ্দেশ্য।

মানুষের এই ভিন্ন-ভিন্ন পরিচয়গুলোকে যখন আলাদা-আলাদাভাবে গুরুত্ব দেওয়া হয়না, তখনই আমরা কাউকে "সে একজন মুসলমান" কিংবা "সে একজন ভারতীয়" কিংবা "সে একজন নাস্তিক" কিংবা "সে একজন নিরামিষাশী" কিংবা "সে একজন ব্রাজিল ফুটবল দলের সমর্থক"— এইরকম ভাঙাচোরা পরিচয়ে ডাকতে শুরু করি। ডাকলেও অসুবিধে নেই, অসুবিধে হলো, তাদের ভাঙাচোরাভাবে বিচার করতে শুরু করি। তখনই শুরু হয় ঝামেলা। তখনই আমরা আক্রমণাত্মক হয়ে যাই। তখনই আমরা ক্ষুদ্র হয়ে যাই। তখনই আমরা "holier than thou" হয়ে যাই। তখনই আমরা বলি : লোকটা নামাজ পড়ছে, তার মানেই ব্যাটা মুসলমান। আর মুসলমান মানেই... সে শুধুই মুসলমান। তার আর কোনও পরিচয় নেই! আর কোনো সত্তা নেই! কিচ্ছু নেই! গোটা মানুষটার বাকি সব পরিচয় তখন উবে গেছে। রয়ে গেছে শুধু একটা শব্দ। "মুসলমান"।

এই বিচ্ছিরিরকমের বড়ো একটা রিভিউ লিখেও, অত্যন্ত সুলিখিত এই বইটির সম্পূর্ণ পরিচয় দিতে পারলাম না। ব্যক্তিগতভাবে এই বইটি পড়ার পরে আমি ভীষণরকম সমৃদ্ধ হয়েছি। আমার চিন্তা মার্জিত হয়েছে। অর্থনীতি আমার অন্যতম একটি আগ্রহের বিষয়। অমর্ত্য সেনের চিন্তা এবং কাজকেও আমি অনেকদিন যাবৎ জানার চেষ্টা করে আসছি। একটা হারিয়ে যাওয়া সময়, একটা হারিয়ে যাওয়া জগৎ, কয়েকজন হারিয়ে যাওয়া উজ্জ্বল মানুষ এবং তাঁদের চিন্তাভাবনা এবং আজকের এই জটিল উদ্ভট সময়ের মধ্যে একটা মিসিং লিঙ্ক হয়ে থাকবেন অমর্ত্য সেনের মতো ব্যক্তিত্বরা। যাঁদের সংখ্যা দ্রুত কমে আসছে। চারশো পৃষ্ঠার বইতে কারোর প্রতি অসূয়া কিংবা বিদ্বেষ প্রকাশ করেননি তিনি। একবারের জন্যেও "নোবেল পুরস্কার" শব্দটি উচ্চারণ করেননি। পুরো বই জুড়ে ছড়িয়ে ছিলো একটা রসিকতাময় বিদগ্ধ বিনম্র আলো। বইটা শেষ করে খেয়াল হলো, "বিনয়"— এই শব্দটা শুধু বিদ্বান ব্যক্তিদের মানায়। আজকের এই ট্রল, স্ট্যাটাস, রিল, মিম-সংস্কৃতিতে এই গভীর ব্যঞ্জনাময় শব্দটির কোনও জায়গা নেই! জায়গা থাকার কথাও নয়!

যেথা তুচ্ছ আচারের মরুবালুরাশি
বিচারের স্রোতঃপথ ফেলে নাই গ্রাসি,
পৌরুষেরে করে নি শতধা; নিত্য যেথা
তুমি সর্ব কর্ম চিন্তা আনন্দের নেতা—
নিজ হস্তে নির্দয় আঘাত করি, পিতঃ,
ভারতেরে সেই স্বর্গে করো জাগরিত।

[Katia N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this intellectual memoir was such a delightful experience - like the time spent with very wise but very warm, curious and still passionate granddad. He talks about the main events, especially at the beginning of his life that shape his intellectual views and agenda (including but not limited to Begali famine and the Partition). He discusses big ideas varying from how to insure that there is no starving people in the world to what is right and what is wrong with Marx's theory. However, mainly this book is devoted to his friends and colleagues who influenced or inspired him. Many of them, sadly not alive anymore. And it makes this read very poignant, such a long and fruitful life... I've posted some updates throughout reading. Those might give a bit more of an idea what the book is about. I plan to read his earlier writing both on economic theory of choice and on a wider social and political topics such an identity, Indian philosophy and his view on the theory of justice.

[Shadin Pranto · Rating 2 out of 5]

আত্মজীবনী মানে যদি বড়ো বড়ো অর্থনীতিবিদদের সাহচর্য, বিখ্যাত বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ে পড়া আর পড়ানোর ইতিবৃত্ত এবং ঢাকা ও কলকাতায় বেড়ে ওঠার স্মৃতি বোঝায় তাহলে আমার কিছু বলার নেই।

আত্মসমালোচনার ছিঁটেফোঁটা নেই। এমন কোনো ঘটনা পাইনি যা পাঠক হিসেবে আমাকে আলোড়িত করেছে। লোকে নিন্দেমন্দ করতে পারে জেনেও সততার সাথে ব্যক্তিজীবনের অস্বস্তিকর ঘটনার বর্ণনা পাইনি।

মোটকথা, ভীষণ একঘেয়ে আর গড়পড়তা মানের স্মৃতিকথা এটি। নোবেল বিজয়ী বিশ্বখ্যাত অর্থশাস্ত্রবিদ অমর্ত্য সেনের বদলে মোকলেসপুর যদুচন্দ্র বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় কলেজের অর্থনীতির মাস্টার অমর্ত্য সেন বই লিখলে হয়তো এমন অগুরুত্বপূর্ণ ঘটনার ভরা স্মৃতিকথাই লিখবে!

[Arun Pandiyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year I undertook a reading marathon of the books written by Dr. Amartya Sen. As I was finishing his previous literature one by one, curiosity filled me as to how such a novel approach to philosophy and economics was developed by Dr. Sen which was heavily in contrast to the approach of his contemporary counterparts. Much of his previous works had emphasized his relationship with Rabindranath Tagore and his formative years in Santiniketan as the root cause for his intellectual valor. As I waited patiently for the autobiography this year, when his memoir was first released, I quickly grabbed a copy of it and began reading.

In the backdrop of the 1934 earthquake with Bihar as its epicenter, tremors were felt in Kolkata where baby Amartya Sen was merrily asleep when his family was seeking protection. This incident was the first-ever memory of his childhood, as told by his grandparents. For the people who have read Tagore’s rebuttal to Gandhi’s proclamation that this earthquake was an act of God to punish the sinners, Dr. Sen’s journey begins right there. Much of this memoir has captivating references to Tagore's work and how the Santiniketan shaped Dr. Sen’s intellect in his childhood.

At this time of ever-growing narrow-mindedness and parochialism, reading Dr. Sen’s school life in Santiniketan makes us believe that true open-mindedness begins from exploring the world without letting it cloaked by jingoism and identity, rather by letting in tolerance, acceptance, and curiosity. As the narration moves forward to his days in Presidency College, Dr. Sen had penned relevant chapters on the history of West Bengal, Bengali, and Bangladesh starting from early India to the Battle of Plassey, followed by the rise of left-wing politics within the freedom movement and finally to the murderous Bengal Famine.

Even though he identifies himself as an atheist, his grandfather Kshitimohan Sen’s profound impact on him in the subject of Hinduism/Charvaka epistemology/Lokayata is yet another factor that molded Sen’s approach to Justice through the lens of Nyaay and Niti, which later got published in 2008. Throughout the narration, Dr. Sen makes the reader believe in two things: (a) his commitment to secularism from an early age and (b) his deep interest in seeing the world as a curator than as a clash of civilization or power struggle between the classes. As far as I understood, this was due to the presence of multi-party adherents within his family, his multicultural connections in Santiniketan, and his conscious distance from active political engagements.
Astonishingly, when he turned twenty-three, he was ready to submit his Ph.D. thesis and has agreed to set up the economics department at Jadavpur University. Yet another interesting narration was on his willingness to try philosophy after economics when he quickly changed his domain working on philosophical arguments by continuing the idea from Kennet Arrow’s Social Choice Theory interlinking it with economics to further create a new field termed as welfare economics, which as a subject was though initially rejected by American Universities, but was later awarded Nobel Prize for it.

There is a particular chapter in the book titled 'What to make of Marx' which developed a rather peculiar interest in me to read a bit more of Karl Marx in the coming days, especially after reading Sen’s citation of the ‘Critique of the Gotha Program’ referring to Marx’s commitment to multiple identities, free speech, and liberty which the later communist powers failed to recognize and present post-modernists fail to promote. This memoir was too small to hold all the names of men and women who influenced Amartya Sen, starting from Tagore in his childhood to his landlady with an aversion for brown people who later became a strong proponent of racial equality. But this memoir is dense in detailing and carries sprinkles of wisdom from a wise man who learned his lessons from multiple people as he navigated his life.

Reading Amartya Sen had always ignited a passion for intellectual arguments in me that I can quickly point to him as an inspiration for my interests in economics, moral philosophy, and ethics. There were many life lessons one could take from this memoir. Firstly, it had deep insights on diverse subjects explained lucidly by a man who self-diagnosed his cancer at the age of eighteen with a few oncology books borrowed from the city library. Secondly, it inspires one to learn, learn more, and learn without boundaries from everyone from the narration of a self-proclaimed atheist who took his idea of Justice from Indian origin religious texts and epics. Finally, it persuades us to view the world as our home as Tagore once persuaded Dr. Sen with his “Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls”.

[Pulkit Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a grandfather reminiscing about his childhood and younger years- that is how Amartya Sen's 'Home In The World' reads.

I dreaded Economics the one year I studied it in school, scoring the least in it. But the Nobel laureate in Economics has written a book that is surprisingly accessible. Few bits are funny, it is mostly witty and comprehensively erudite the book's lilting tenor lulled me into a trance. When it would break, without effort I would have read so many pages.

English is Sen's third language after Bengali and Sanskrit (!!). He even dreams in Bengali.

Sen has led a privileged life, a fact he acknowledges with humility. His mother was Rabindranath Tagore's student, Sen was named 'Amartya' by the great man himself. He makes a passing mention of his achievements, never pausing to add more weight to them.

My favourite incident from his life would be with the one with his landlady. At 'Porter Lodge', the lady worries that his brown colour would wash off with the water ruining her white bathtub. He assures her it will not. Interactions with him change her as much that she becomes a supporter of racial equality-she dances with an African for two hours straight when he can't find a partner. It is the African who gets fatigued first.

The book twinkles with anecdotes and his reflections. The greats of the world with whom he has rubbed shoulders walk through his stories with as much ease as the reader does. Sen takes you along on his journey from being a little boy growing up in Dacca(as it was known then) and Santiniketan to his adulthood. You witness the evolution of his thinking, analytical mind- his intellectual trajectory.

Hop on, it's an interesting cruise.

[Sohan · Rating 4 out of 5]

এই বইটা পড়ে আমার খুব ভালো লেগেছে। বিস্তারিত অনুভূতি আমি লিখতে চাইছি না। কয়েকজনের রিভিউ পড়ে মনে হয়েছে একই কথা পুনরাবৃত্তি করার প্রয়োজন নেই। শুধু একটা ব্যাপার বলতে হচ্ছে, আমি খেয়াল করলাম, এই বইটিকে অনেকেই অমর্ত্য সেনের আত্মজীবনী বলছেন কিন্তু বইটির নামেই রয়েছে A Memoir অর্থাৎ এটি Biography নয়। সেই মোতাবেক, লেখক জীবনের একান্ত ব্যাক্তিগত বিষয় লিখতে এখানে বাধ্য নন(বাই দ্য ওয়ে, নবনীতার সাথে সম্পর্কের কাহিনী কোন বইয়ে লিখেছেন?😂)
শুদ্রকের মৃচ্ছকটিক আমার একটি প্রিয় সংস্কৃত নাটক। শুদ্রক, রবীন্দ্রনাথ, কার্ল মার্ক্স, বুদ্ধকে নিয়ে তাঁর চিন্তাভাবনা আমাকে কিছুটা আলোড়িত করেছে। তাঁর পিতামহ ক্ষিতিমোহন সেন সম্পর্কেও বেশ কিছু জানতে পারলাম। মন্বন্তর নিয়ে তাঁর গবেষণা আমাকে নতুন কিছু বিষয় নিয়ে ভাবতে উদ্বুদ্ধ করেছে।

Starvation is a characteristic of people not being able to buy enough food in the market – not of there being not enough food in the market. In the 1970s, when I studied famines across the world, it became clear how important it was to focus on food entitlement – not food availability.

[Shuk Pakhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

লেখাগুলো কেমন একটু এলেমেলো ধরনের লাগলো। তাত্ত্বিক আলোচনাগুলো এখানে না টানলেও চলতো।
আরেকটু গুছানো লেখা আশা করেছিলাম।

[Adwitiya (অদ্বিতীয়া) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 / 5.00

This was a marvelously enjoyable read for me.Sen has a great sense of humor which comes across easily in his text. He truly had the life of a 'global intellectual', since his very childhood days at Shantiniketan. The book could have been organized in a better way, I especially found the ending portion to be a bit abrupt; but I suppose more than a book of his memories it is rather a book of the ideas that shaped his life and view of the world, and how he came to hold them mostly through the company and friendship of some brilliant people.

~ 1 October 2023

[Manu · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really difficult to write anything about a memoir because while it is written for an audience, it is also intensely personal. But I think the perspectives are such that it deserves a larger audience, and I hope even this drop in the ocean can help in that!
The book is more about the life, and less about the work. They obviously intermingle to a large extent, but the focus is on the relationships and the exchange of thoughts. In some cases, the subjects of discussion also manage to creep in, but they aren't inaccessible, except on a couple of occasions.
In the beginning, when I started reading about his background, and his family's relationship with Tagore, I thought he was privileged. What added to it was the seemingly casual mention of historical figures, Gandhi downwards! It would be easy to think of this as incessant name-dropping, but Amartya Sen bends over backwards in acknowledging the privilege, and luck, that shaped his life.
What we actually get is a behind-the-scenes look at how his worldview evolved over time. I am quite amazed by the prodigious memory! Starting with the openness intrinsic in the Shantiniketan pedagogy, to his discussions with extended family and family friends, the debates at Presidency College and then Cambridge, the book is full of personalities and their ideas, and how they shaped the thinking of a Nobel laureate. But more than the awards, what comes out is an unwavering openness to different perspectives, an approach to problem-solving that involves conversations and debates, and most importantly, a sense of justice that follows the tradition of Tagore and Adam Smith.
The narrative has a disarming humility and a sense of humour that will win you over. That, combined with a richness of discourse that is increasingly hard to find, makes this an excellent read.

P.S. Thanks to the book, I learnt that bosons (as made famous by Higgs boson, a.k.a. The God Particle) were named after Satyendra Nath Bose
P.P.S. I found at least three books of different genres to read courtesy this book

[Lilisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A significant contributor to the field of economics, Amartya Sen’s weighty memoir delves deep into his memory bank to give the reader insights into his home in the world. Much of the book harkens back to his childhood in Dhaka, Mandalay, Calcutta, and Santiniketan, as well as his early formative years in school and university. I found the early parts interesting as Sen describes his family’s association with the Nobel Poet Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Tagore’s significant contribution and influence on Bengal and India on numerous fronts. Tagore’s groundbreaking philosophy on education and the cultural world were key factors in Sen’s education and outlook. They left an indelible stamp on the author. Also noteworthy is Sen’s focus on the struggle for India’s independence and the challenges of religious strife in a secular India, stirred constantly by politicians for their gain. I particularly appreciated his ability to convey how people of different religions in India do live in harmony most of the time, despite the fact that we tend to frequently hear more about religious acrimony and conflict. He waxed eloquently about his line of work, what influenced his thinking and approach, and his path to success. From a writing style perspective, I found the book to be excruciatingly bogged down in overly minute details, a laundry list of names of who’s who in what seemed like every encounter he had in his entire life. It felt like he wanted to acknowledge everyone he’d ever met or was testing himself on how many people he could remember going back to his childhood days, which works for him, but not to me, the reader. Overall I found the book interesting in some parts, in others, not so much. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Pavan Korada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating account of not just the leading economist of our times but a glimpse into the social life of an elite section (Upper Caste-Upper Class) of India. I'm glad that Dr. Sen allowed himself to be poetic, demonstrated in some few elegant turns of phrases. This book also lays out his major themes of economic and philosophical work including social choice theory and realisation-based ideas of justice. The chapter on Karl Marx is one of the most lucid analysis of his ideas I have ever come across. Other minor interests of his including Sanskrit, identity and, most importantly, Buddhism have been discussed in enough detail. One disappointment is that for all his intellectual and moral commitment to the problem of inequality, there is very little discussion about the strictly social aspect of inequality in the Indian context, that is, Caste; more so considering his other major interest Buddhism, which was as much a rebellion against social inequity (read Caste System) as it was a tussle with the major metaphysical debates of the time. I felt the book ended abruptly. It ends when Dr. Sen was 30 years old. He is 88 now. I hope there is another part coming up soon about the remaining 58 years, at least. Strongly recommend.

[Brecht Rogissart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sen's memoir is a testimony of uncomplicated cosmopolitanism in a politically muddy world. Especially in the first two parts - on his childhood in West Bengal - he displays a caring, universalist identity shaped through political turmoil: the Bengali famine of 1943, the conflicts between Muslims and Hundi's, and the quest for independence from Britain in a divided cast system. Especially his relation to the colonial oppressor was somewhat surprising: Although he was always, of course, a strong supporter of independence, his acknowledgment of 'positive' British influences on Indian thinking and literature is unsettling and admirable at the same time. Through his eyes, I've learned a lot about Indian leftist political debates when the country struggled for independence. During the Second World War, Indian leftists were debating if they should remain loyal to Britain's position (in fact, it were the British who had forced them into alligning with them, without consulting the Indians). Were the British going to give them more independence in exchange? Should they place their bets on a conquering Soviet Union who would help them? Or was the imperialist Japanese power the solution? These were not solely questions of a unified Indian nation: wihtin West Bengal, the possibility of independence within a specific (class) division of Muslims and Hundi's was mingled into the debate as well. Astonishing to see how the global trickled down in the local and morphed into new dimensions I hadn't heard of before. Althusser's "overdetermination" makes more sense when you confront theory with history.

In the later parts, Sen becomes a succesfull academic and his memoir also shifts somewhat. Unfortunately, he doesn't focus on the intellectual debates too much. Sometimes it reads as if he's giving a long list of friends he made at every uni he went to, where he then shortly summarizes their professional career ("as he would later turn out to be a great economist at the Labour party offices"). However, fortunately, his two intellectual tutors, Maurice Dobb and Piero Sraffa (two economists at Cambridge) reoccur constantly, alongside Joan Robinson and "Nicky" Kaldor. It was amusing to read funny anecdotes about them (for example, Sraffa pointing out to Baran that this side of Sraffa's library is only "full of trash", after which Baran points to his books being on that shelf). In addition, Sen is able to switch from anecdotes to really helpful summaries of debates and contributions from people he admires and formed his thinking (he gives a summary of Srafa's thought in one page that is so much more helpful than his endlessly technical Wiki-page).

I especially learned a lot about Piero Srafa! I thought he was just an obscure post-keynesian with a special interest in Ricardo. I had no clue he was a close friend of Gramsci and that he was editor of L'Ordine Nuovo. Apparently, there was something of a Gramsci-Sraffa debate in Italy in the 1920s, on the question for the need of a broad democratic resistance against fascism (Sraffa was in favour of the broad coalition, Gramsci disagreed initially). In addition, Sraffa had an exceptionally big influence on Wittgenstein, and he himself acknowledged that the transition from "young" to "second" Wittgenstein was formed through his weekly talks with Sraffa. According to the myth, it was Sraffa who stroke his two fingers accross his chin (a Neapolitan gesture) saying: "what's the logical identity of this?", indicating that an anthropoligical study of language was so much more important than a strictly logical one. My new year resolution is to finally read "the production of commodities by means of commidities"

[Kunal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so much more than a recollection.

A peek into a certain Bengali way of intellectual, book-loving and arguementative (all in a positive sense) life, a glance at post-independence breaking out of quite a few Indian (but Ox-Cam graduated) stalwarts, a whiff of economists and their economics (Marxian/Keynesian/Neo-classical).

It's not a read-fest. Sen has a dense style of writing, with propensity to go for detail. And one can crawl when the doyen brushes past you with economics, philosophy and social choice theory (his forte), even if it's the most basic he can manage. His interests, which are as varied as sanskrit or buddhism or cancer, lead to a life of immense reading, debating and theorising, something that can seem almost other-worldly to a mere mortal.

But all in all, it gets you there and then stays with you for longer. And it does make you feel that even on a seemingly high-brow path to academic greatness, one can meet a number of people one can call a friend and manage to find a number of places one can call a home.

[Renée · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly, thank god that i finished this book, it has been hanging over my head from the day i started

this was good! very dense! part memoir, part world history textbook, part econ paper. my favorite chapter was the one about marx. too much name dropping, it was hard to remember who was who and also got a little bit annoying, but overall i enjoyed this

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir spans the sweep of Amartya Sen’s life from his childhood in Burma, what is now Bangladesh and Shantiniketan in West Bengal through his academic life in Kolkata, Cambridge (England), Cambridge (Massachusetts), Stanford and his return to India in the early 1960s. It spans an era that includes the Bengal famine, the Japanese attack on India’s border in World War II, India’s independence and the violence of Partition that followed, the rise of Communism through to the creation of post-war welfare states and the beginnings of European unification. It shares in intimate, at times excessive, detail his family relationships and his wide and eclectic range of academic and social relationships and illuminates the roots of his liberal, cosmopolitan views. It traces the evolution of his thought - economic, political and philosophical - and the many influences that shaped it. A fascinating read, if long, with wonderful insights into a great life that embodies great erudition across domains and strength of conviction grounded in values of equity, liberty and dignity with a love of argumentation, deep empathy, an openness to contrary points of view and grace under fire.

[Nandini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir is a remarkable story of the journey of a brilliant mind. Sen speaks lucidly of diverse difficult subjects: economics of course, but also philosophy, hinduism, literature and so many other things that caught his interest on the way. The story of how he came to find himself at home, not in one corner of the world but in myriad settings ,is peppered with stories of people and places told with love passion and wit. What shines through the book is not just his intellect but his deep humanity.

[Berkeren Büyükeren · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great autobiography! I learned so much about India, Bangladesh, West Bengal and Calcutta. Even the parts about his time at Cambridge and economics (in particular, social choice theory) were less interesting

[Inês · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read aloud that passage from Smith in a lecture at the D-school, I remember the relief- and indeed the thrill- that could be detected from the class. My students in Delhi may not have know much about people from the coast of Afica, but there was an immediate solidarity with ill-treated human beings from far away as well as nearby. They were not persuaded by Smith’s words; they took pride in them.

[JUSTIN JOS · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was a reminder for me to consider doctoral studies as a beginning of an academic career. The book highlights Dr. Sen's early life. It is clear that Dr. Sen came from a very privileged background but he used it to become more knowledgeable. Dr. Sen writes about a history which I do not know of. He finished his PhD in 1950s. My father was not even born in the 1950s. It is about a different time where things were different. The book takes you to a different time and it is nice to read about his journey. So jealous, that he got appointed as a Professor at 23 at Jadavpur University!

[Wilbur Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

full of interesting ideas about the world, which somehow still feel fresh.

also lots of interesting intellectual history -- for example I had no idea about the atheistic tradition in Hinduism, or about how Gramsci influenced Wittgenstein via Sraffa.

reading about the big, happy and intellectually-stimulating community in which Sen was raised was pretty inspiring, as a father.

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 2/3s of the book was wonderful, the last 1/3 felt rushed and not as insightful (it also stops in the 1960s)

That said, overall read like an intellectual history of Amartya Sen himself - an exploration of his influences, and how his early ideas and worldviews developed. I loved it!

Some ideas/thoughts I found memorable:

- Santiniketan sounds like a magical place to study and grow up - especially in those years. Hearing the sort of people Amartya grew up surrounded by, the pedagogical style of the place (which thankfully he also realizes was unique given his time in a Dhaka school whose vibe sounded very familiar), the intellectual freedom he was given etc. Reminded me of how Rishi Valley alums describe their experiences...

- Learned far more than I realized about Tagore and his contributions. Unfortunately haven't engaged/explored Tagore's life and work enough (attempted Gitanjali in high school and totally didn't get it then), so glad for this unintended introduction. The parts about Tagore's arguments with Gandhi, the different ways in which he was perceived by the West (an alleged mysticism and rejection of reason) and Bengali/Indian society (a champion of reason and rationality) etc.

- Funnily enough, the part of Sen's autobiography I loved most was his biography of his grandfather Kshiti Mohan. Sad that I hadn't heard of him until this book. He partly seemed like what I believe Indian political thought needs today - an individual who's a deeply credible expert in classical and scriptural Sanskrit literature while also being progressive in their worldview. Something Hindutva has done is to appropriate ownership of ancient Hindu scriptures -- there's hardly anybody in mainstream politics who has a liberal and lenient interpretation of Hinduism, and is able to draw on it in political conversation today. And if two people can read a vanilla novel and come out with radically different takes, I can't imagine how many diverse viewpoints there can be from reading the pantheon of Sanskrit and Pali literature. For example, Sen claims that Kshiti Mohan's books show the tenuous link Hindu scriptures have to the caste system, how women in ancient India enjoyed far more freedoms that medieval and modern India afforded them etc etc. Maybe I'm being naively hopeful that these interpretations are credible, but for now, will try and get my hands on Kshiti Mohan's works (Jatibhed, Prachin Bharate Nari, Bharater Sanskriti)...

- Also had a lot of interesting anecdotes and stories about Calcutta and Bengal, and how Partition affected the Eastern part of the subcontinent....

Overall, mostly enjoyed it!

[Haaris Mateen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amartya Sen is one of the greatest economists of the past 100 years. He has been a huge personal influence and I consider him a thinker of the highest caliber. Every book he has written in his amazingly productive life -- from technical social choice theory (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) to his irresistibly thought-provoking general audience books, such as Identity and Violence, and The Argumentative Indian -- is worth savoring and re-reading.

His memoir is, alas, not as impressive. There are sparkling moments and there are interesting incidents in his very eventful life. But on the whole, I found it unnecessarily rambling at times; parts of it read like the acknowledgement section of a book. The tone is self-indulgent, especially in the first third. It would have been a better read had it been cut down by about 100 pages.

[Nagendra Sarma · Rating 5 out of 5]

{Regretfully I stopped it at half, and I promise myself I'll go back to it as soon as possible.}

The book is a reminiscence that's plotted so wonderfully, I think I can say I cannot love it more than I do now! It is not just his story. It is a story of India, of Bengal, of Tagore, of Viswa Bharati, and of Calcutta and Dhaka. The literary traditions of Bengal, the history of it, colonial backdrop, Hindu-Muslim relationships, The Great Bengal Famines, partition of Bengal, oh my god! The activity of Amartya Sen is enviable! That was a dream! What he went through and what he had witnessed gives him, as we see evidently, the perspectives he develops later in his life. Sen recollects the discussions amid his family, friends, teachers and relatives, who were all kinds of artists, academicians, politicians, poets, and cultural thinkers, giving us a myriad of ideas complimenting and contradicting eachother! An example is between Gandhi and Tagore, who were influential throughout his life, and with whom he had lovely discussions. (Many with Tagore, one or two with Gandhi). Life in Calcutta is described in such one rugged and realistic manner, I'm planning to visit Calcutta this vacation! What more can I say?

This is one wonderful book that will walk you through the most turbulent times of the recent history: The World War 2, Indian Independence Struggle, Indian Partition, Era of Indian Politics, Indian/Bengali Renaissance, and so much more! Life teems up in this work, it'll leave you bewildered, moved, and it'll make you love it to your core!

If I ever say I love some other non fiction more than this, don't believe in me! Amartya Sen is a beautiful writer, and after this book, a dearly friend!

[Muaz Jalil · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a development practitioner, I am a huge fan of Amartya Sen and his writings. I saw him once at LSE. For some reason this memoir reminded me of Russell's autobiography, may be the writing style and the fact that Cambridge played a major role in their lives. I read Sen because it opens up new authors or books to me. In this memoir I came across Maurice Dobb, Pieor Sraffa, Frank Ramsay, among others. I also bought the book Karl Marx Greatness and Illusion, which was highly recommended by Sen. He was influenced by the idea of Objective Illusion, which is a fascinating concept.

The best part was early years in Dhaka and Shanti Niketan, meeting with Tagore/Mujtaba Ali , Kshiti Mohan and so many others. He met Lal Jayawardena, as student in Cambridge, who was one of the founder of UN WIDER. Then there was Mahbubul Haq, who developed the Human Development Index ( who is from Kings College....my college 😊) ; Rehman Sobhan and finally Manmohan Singh was his junior . I did not know that originally Sen was rejected by Trinity and apparently that's the only place he applied! He effectively finished his PhD in 1 year. Published his papers in QJE ( best econ journal) just coming out of Bachelors and studied Philosophy when he was a Prize Fellow, again getting published in philosophy journals. The guy is a genius, reminded me of Feynman! The best memoir I have read in a while.

I loved it!!

[Aron Malmborg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amartya Sen has lived a very interesting and multifaceted life. Telling of his growing up in Bengal around the the time of independence and partition and his later studying and teaching at Cambridge and in the US, this wonderfully written memoir is an engaging and inspiring read.

Alongside humorous anecdotes, touching stories, and enlightening explorations of Indian culture and history, the book also features discussions and insights on some of the important causes Sen has devoted his life to: social equality, religious tolerance, the importance of free discussion, and the expansion of our moral horizons.

Sen's intellectual openness, boundless curiosity, and deep concern for injustice should be emulated to a greater extent by us all. In recognizing the many sources of good arguments, ideas, and practices we may come to realize, like Sen, that (intellectual) homes need not be exclusive, and that we can all gain by becoming more at home in the world.

[Jasmine Pulley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected more from Amartya Sen’s memoir. Or maybe, I expected different from what he delivered. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised by the memoir of an academic, but Sen focused almost entirely on summarizing his various fields of study throughout his life—the subjects that inspired him and encouraged him to dig further into the field of economics, as well studies of other academics around him. He covered many anecdotes of time spent with fellow academics who went on to have very successful careers with different contributions to education, politics, and literature. However, I expected him to go a bit deeper with his life. I would have been so interested to learn more about how his particular life experiences—being born into a fairly elite family during colonial India, brought of age during a newly independent India, studying in England only a decade after India’s newly aquired freedom, all against the backdrop of the Cold War— shaped him as person.

As an academic, and more than that, as a nobel prize winner in economics, much of the book traces his academic journey, starting with his earliest education. He spends a while tracing his early memories of classical Indian literature and his love of math, which all colluded to giving him a lifelong interest in the plight of the poor in regards to education. I found his numerous references to Indian poets, artists and writers interesting as they made their way to my own reference list of people to look up on my own.
I think the purpose of these chapters was to set up a foundation of explaining how he came to enter the academic field that would take up most of his life, but I found it lacking in terms of self reflection or self formation. What kind of tension or conflict existed for him during these years? Maybe none, but I find these are the pieces or memoir that we truly connect with.

In his early twenties, he has a cancerous oral tumor removed which changes the course of his life because his parents, wanting him to have something to look forward to after his recovery, arrange for him to study in England. Again, this period of his life feels like it could have been explored so much more deeply. I would have loved to know more about his personal experiences as a young Indian, visiting Britain just years after India’s independence as these two countries were trying to form relations. Instead, much of this section shares the names of various people he studied with who went on to become successful and gain notoriety in their respective fields of study. Interesting of course, to know he studied with people who went on to become heads of state, but again, lacking any form of tension and felt only scratching the surface. I would have been much more interested to know how those experiences shaped or changed him. How did they challenge his way of thinking? What was it like being amongst such intelligent people from many different countries, with strong political opinions studying in one of the most prestigious universities in the world, during the Cold War no less? I was pleasantly surprised by much of his reception by Britons during his time in college. I think I anticipated more prejudice against him by the previous imperial power, and maybe he had those as well, but he shared many positive experiences by people he encountered who were genuinely interested in getting to know him, learning about his life in India, and learning about his studies.

Communism is a theme throughout his memoir but mostly in an academic sense, the ways in which Marxist thought piqued his interest and the ways in which various friends of his aligned themselves amongst the spectrum of leftist thought. But I still never felt like I knew the author any better, or learned how these life experiences changed him as a person, challenged him, or caused any tension in his life. He had a way of writing about his life as if keeping you as the reader at arms length, writing about topics on the surface, and in a mostly academic way.

It seemed the deepest Sen went in his story was in the earlier chapters of his story, when he shared the experiences of visiting various relatives in prison due to pro Indian nationalist political activism. This gave a small taste of what the experience under British rule was like for Indians at that particular time.

In a chapter titled “Dobb, Straffa, and Robertson,”Sen detailed the academic pursuits of three of his fellow trinity economics professors, and later, colleagues. I wasn’t entirely sure how a chapter like this fits in one’s memoir, and I wondered who exactly was the audience for Sen’s story. Similarly, he had a chapter titled, “What to make of Marx,” which detailed much of the academic debates happening in his circles surrounding Marxist thought at the time. If the intended audience were students of economics who followed his career and contributions to the field, then they may have found this incredibly valuable and interesting to follow his education and see how he landed on the areas of study he did. If, like me, a reader was hoping to learn more from a prominent member of the Indian diaspora who has had the privilege of living on multiple continents through some very turbulent political decades (post ww2, Indian independence, Cold War) and hoping to learn more how a person who lived through that time was personally affected, then I believe you would leave somewhat disappointed.

Considering Sen was a Nobel prize winner in economics, maybe I should not have been surprised just how many chapters of his memoir were dedicated to describing various studies in economics of his peers and his thoughts on them, but I was. At times this felt more like an academic paper than a memoir.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amartya Sen makes a very genial companion, wearing his learning lightly. It's easy to believe him when he says the most important identity among the various he cleaves to is that of teacher; the telling of his life is inseparable from his intellectual development, and he manages to bring his readers (or at least this one, for the most part) with very lucid explanations of sometimes difficult topics. He's very interesting on topics from famine in Bengal to wartime rationing in Britain (sharing was possible with Britons but not with Indians) to the place of individual liberty in Marxism to the importance of the role of debate in a nation's politics -- and a more enthusiastic, skilled and generous debater you couldn't hope to find.

[Zaved Akhtar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning!

[Akashdeep Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books. Amartya talks about his experience living in different countries, the cultural richness of Bengal, the perils of divisive politics in modern day India and imperialism pre-independence

[Abhinav Anand · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a beautiful journey through Amartya Sens's life, not limited to his personal accounts but expanding on those ideas that encompass India and the world. The fascinating journey is eloquently sewn with intellectual exposition.