Why in the News?

Prime Minister Modi has paid respectful tributes to eminent thinker and educationist Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on his 125th birth anniversary.

About Syama Prasad Mookerjee (1901-1953):

• Early life: He was born on July 6, 1901, in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• Academics: He studied at Presidency College and the University of Calcutta, where he excelled academically.
• Professional Career: He became a barrister after being called to the English Bar at Lincoln’s Inn, London. At the age of 33, he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University, one of the youngest to hold the post.
• Association with Freedom Movement: He began his political journey with the Indian National Congress. Later, he joined the Hindu Mahasabha, becoming its president.
• Demise: He died in 1953, while in custody in Jammu and Kashmir, under mysterious circumstances that remain controversial to this day.

His Contributions:

• Role in Pre-Independence Politics:

• • He served as the Finance Minister of Bengal under British rule.
  • He resigned in 1942, protesting British policies during the Quit India Movement.
  • He became a strong voice against British repression and for Indian self-rule.

• Advocacy for Partition of Bengal:

• • He advocated the partition of Bengal to safeguard Hindu interests during the run-up to Partition.
  • His efforts contributed to the creation of a separate West Bengal within the Indian Union.

• Minister in Nehru’s Cabinet:

• • After independence, he served as India’s first Minister for Industry and Supply in Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet.
  • In 1950, he resigned from the cabinet in protest against the Nehru-Liaquat Pact.
  • He believed the pact failed to protect the Hindu minorities in East Bengal (now Bangladesh).

• Founding of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1951):

• • In 1951, Mookerjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh with ideological support from the RSS.
  • The party aimed to present a nationalist alternative to the Congress Party.

• Opposition to Article 370:

• • Mookerjee strongly opposed Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
  • He believed the article promoted separatism and weakened national integration.
  • He famously declared that- “One country cannot have two constitutions, two prime ministers, and two flags.”

• Legacy:

• • Mookerjee’s thoughts continue to influence the ideological foundation and policies of the far right political parties.
  • He is remembered as a champion of national unity, constitutional equality, and strong central integration.

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