Amartya Sen arrives sans luggage

KOLKATA: Nobel laureate Amartya Sen was forced to go on an unscheduled shopping spree in the city on Friday after British Airways misplaced his baggage. Sen arrived in the city the same day on flight BA 147.
Speaking to TNN from Santiniketan on Saturday, Sen said he had to make a trip to a departmental store in central Kolkata to equip his wardrobe since all his clothes were in the two suitcases that had been misplaced by the airline staff in London.
"This gave me an opportunity to shop in Kolkata -- something that I have not been able to do in a long time. I was able to see a new side of India -- the consumerism and wealth. The clothes, though expensive by Indian standards, are cheaper when compared to price tags abroad. However, in terms of quality, they can match the best in the West," he said.
More than his clothes, what is bothering Sen is the absence of important papers of the Pratichi Trust as well as those related to seminars in Delhi. The trust was set up with Sen''s Nobel Prize money to work on issues related to development.
Sen expressed dismay at the callousness of the airline despite him travelling first class and being a BA gold card member that talks of priority treatment. "The mishandling of luggage is all the more surprising since it was a one-hop flight from London," Sen said.
BA officials, on Saturday, called up Sen and informed him that the luggage had been traced and was on its way to Kolkata. "I am hoping to get my luggage by Sunday morning," Sen said.