DR SYAMA PRASAD MOOKERJEE

Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee (1901-53), a great nationalist leader from Bengal. He was the son of Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee, an eminent educationist and fervent patriot, who was widely respected for his unique role as the Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University and a judge of the Calcutta High Court. Syama Prasad, too became the Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University when he was only thirty-three,making him the youngest VC in the history of Indian universities.

Gandhiji insisted on Dr Mookerjee’s inclusion in Pandit Nehru’s first post-Independence Cabinet. As India’s first Minister of Industries, he laid the foundation of many large public sector undertakings such as the Hindustan Aeronautics in Bangalore, the Chittaranjan Locomotive Factory and the Sindhri fertilizer plant. His vision and administrative acumen were evident in his outstanding achievements during his short stint. Working together with Nehru in the government did not, however, minimise Dr Mookerjee’s political differences with the Prime Minister. He was unhappy with Nehru’s handling of the Kashmir issue and especially critical of the pact that Nehru signed with his Pakistani counterpart Liaqat Ali Khan in 1950. . Having failed to prevent the signing of the pact, Dr Mookerjee chose to resign from the Cabinet.

After his voluntary exit from Nehru’s Cabinet, Dr Mookerjee keenly felt the dire need for a suitable nationalist political platform to challenge the wrong policies of the Congress government. He, therefore, decided to organise a new political party that would unite all Indians, irrespective of their caste, creed and linguistic affiliations, on a common nationalist and democratic platform. He named it the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. The founding session of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh took place in New Delhi on 21 October 1951. Concluding his Presidential address, Dr Mookerjee said: “Let all our karyakartas always remember: people’s trust and support can be won only through sacrifice and ceaseless service. We are wedded to the mission of India’s renaissance and reconstruction. Mother India is calling upon her children. Let us set aside the differences of class, caste and religion, and get down to the task of serving her. Howsoever dark may be the present, our future is bright. And India has many big things to do in the world. Our party’s symbol is Deep (lamp); it emits the light of hope and unity, commitment and courage. May we carry this light in our hands and dispel the darkness and gloom that has pervaded our nation after its partition. This is only the beginning of our long yatra. May God Almighty give us the strength and courage so that we always walk along the path of righteousness; so that fear may not deter us and attractions may not lure us; so that we can make our fullest contribution to re-building India as a great and mighty power, spiritually as well as materially; and so that India reborn can become a reliable and sacred instrument for the protection of world peace and promotion of global progress”

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