HVK Archives: Shyama Prasad Mukherjee - a life sketch
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee - a life sketch - Times of India - Editorial
Posted By ashok (ashokvc@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in)
Sat, 29 Jun 96 21:57:45 PDT
A brief life sketch
of
SHRI SHYAMA PRASAD MOOKERJEE
Born on 6th July 1901 in a famous family. His fa-
ther Sir Asutosh was widely known in Bengal.
Graduated from Calcutta University he became a fel-
low of the Senate in 1923. He enrolled as an advocate in
Calcutta High Court in 1924 after his father's death.
Subsequently he left for England in 1926 to study in Lin-
coln's Inn and became a barrister in 1927. At the age of
33, he became the world's youngest Vice-Chancellor of the
Calcutta University and held the office till 1938. Dur-
ing his tenure, he introduced a number of constructive
reforms and was active in Asiatic Society of Calcutta as
well as was a member of the Court and the Council of the
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and Chairman of
the Inter-University of Board.
He was elected as member of the Legislative Council
of Bengal as a Congress candidate representing Calcutta
University but resigned next year when Congress decided
to boycott the legislature. Subsequently, he contested
the election as an independent and got elected.
He became the opposition leader when Krishak Praja
Party - Muslim League coalition was in power 1937-41 and
joined the Progressive Coalition Ministry headed by Fa-
zlul Haq as a Finance Minister and within less than an
year resigned. He emerged as a spokesman for Hindus
and
shortly joined Hindu Mahasabha and in 1944, he became the
President.
After the assassination of Gandhiji, he wanted the
Hindu Mahasabha not to be restricted to Hindus alone or
work as apolitical body for the service of masses and
broke away from it on this issue on 23.11.48.
Pandit Nehru inducted him in the Interim Central
Government as a Minister for Industry and supply. On
issue of Delhi pact with Likayat Ali Khan, Mookerjee re-
signed from the Cabinet on 6th April 1950. After consul-
tation with Shri Golwalkar Guruji of RSS Shri Mookerjee
founded Bharatiya Jana Sangh on 21st Oct. 1951 at Delhi
and he became the first President of it. In 1952 elec-
tions, Bharatiya Jana Sangh won 3 seats in Parliament one
of them being that of Shri Mookerjee. He had formed Na-
tional Democratic Party within the Parliament which con-
sisted 32 members of MPs and 10 of Members of Rajya
Sabha
which however was not recognised by the speaker as an
opposition party.
To voice his opposition he turned outside Parlia-
ment and on Kashmir he termed the arrangement under Arti-
cle 370 as Balkanisation of India and three nation theory
of Shaikh Abdullah.
Bharatiya Jana Sangh along with Hindu Mahasabha and
Ram Rajya Parishad launched a massive Satyagraha to get
removed the pernicious provisions. Mookerjee went to
visit Kashmir in 1953 and was arrested on 11th May while
crossing border. He died as detenu on 23rd May 1953.
His mother Jogmaya Debi exclaimed - "Proudly do I
feel that the loss of my son is a loss to Mother India!"
A veteran politician, he was respected by his
friends and foes alike for his knowledge and forthright-
ness. He outshined all other Ministers in the cabinet
except perhaps Pandit Nehru by his erudition and culture.
India lost a great son at a very early stage of Independ-
ence.
----
June 26, 1996
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