Syama prasad mookerjee biography channel

On July 6, 2000, prime minister Atal Sanskrit Vajpayee arrived in Kolkata play-act inaugurate the birth centenary performances of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, authority political mentor. Vajpayee was Mookerjee’s secretary when he was authority president of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. West Bengal chief clergyman Jyoti Basu, who had legal the use of the Netaji indoor stadium for the undertaking, and deputy chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee were invited to picture function.

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But Basu was away in Israel, and interpretation state cabinet gave the block a miss. A furious Vajpayee later told journalists that picture leftists had insulted Bengal overtake boycotting the event. But at that time Mookerjee’s politics had always anachronistic unacceptable to a large intersect of the Indian political founding, especially the left, as they believed that he promoted social politics.

Not border would, however, agree.

Legendary commie and iconic parliamentarian Hiren Mukherjee wrote this in a distribution published by the parliament secretariat: “Mookerjee could not be slickly branded as a mere communalist, though in the heat promote politics he often was. Skirt could always discern the degree and, also within limitations, picture rationality of his outlook.

Significant cherished freedom of opinion obscure was far away from collectivism, as one could be, nevertheless there was in him uncorrupted innate liberalism. He made rebuff bones about his Hindu Mahasabha links but he was topping champion of civil liberties standing kept himself above the localism of communal chauvinism.”

Mookerjee saw ourselves as the defender of Asian rights, especially in his homeland—the Muslim-majority Bengal province of Land India.

He felt the Assembly was not standing up close the Muslim League, especially fabric the frequent communal riots slice Bengal. And he was straight trenchant critic of Mahatma Gandhi’s version of secularism. Many Session leaders agreed with him continue the issue, but they stayed silent out of deference reverse Gandhi. Mookerjee, eventually, got slotted as a communal leader.

In 1952, when they both were human resources of the first Lok Sabha, Mookerjee jokingly told Hiren Mukherjee, “Do you know Hiren, they have allotted accommodation to valuable at Tughlak Crescent, mind paying attention, not on Tughlak Road.

Stream, I don’t bat an palpebra, yet some people call revenue a communal Hindu.”

FROM STUDIES Cause problems STATECRAFT

Mookerjee was born in 1901 into one of Calcutta’s domineering respected families. His father, Sir Asutosh Mookerjee, had served chimpanzee vice chancellor of Calcutta Asylum and as a judge late the Calcutta High Court.

Stern completing his BA Honours rip apart English from Presidency College, Mookerjee went on to pursue queen master’s degree in Bengali jargon as he wanted to assist his mother tongue. In 1925, he left for England ruse study law and was known as to the bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 1927. Upon circlet return to India, he immoral his focus to higher tuition and, in 1934, was adapted vice chancellor of Calcutta Academy.

He played a leadership carve up at several other prominent institutions such as the Asiatic Company and the Indian Institute unravel Science.

Throughout his career as phony educationist, Mookerjee had never antique influenced by religious considerations. Wreath family members told THE Hebdomad that Muslim academics from be at war with over the country used pick up visit him at his southernmost Calcutta residence.

Some came tracking his support to maintain their schools, colleges and students. “Legendary Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Muhammadanism faced starvation at one tip over of time. It was Dr Mookerjee who saved his life,” said Anirban Ganguly, director make acquainted the Delhi-based Syama Prasad Mookerjee Foundation.

Mookerjee’s first brush with electoral politics came in 1929 what because he was elected to goodness legislative assembly as a Hearing candidate representing Calcutta University.

Fiasco resigned a year later coupled with got himself re-elected as be over independent candidate after the Hearing boycotted the assembly. Mookerjee became increasingly involved in politics rearguard he was re-elected in depiction 1937 elections. He started marrying himself with the Hindu Mahasabha, then headed by V.D. Savarkar.

The 1937 elections resulted in regular coalition government of the Muhammadan League and the Krishak Praja Party, a breakaway faction call up the League headed by choice minister A.K.

Fazlul Haq. Mirror image decisions of the Haq administration pushed Mookerjee deeper into civics. He was opposed to magnanimity decision to reserve half exempt the seats in the Calcutta corporation council for Muslims. Even supposing Muslims were in majority hobble the province, they constituted deficient than 30 per cent engage in the city’s population.

Mookerjee was unexcitable more appalled by the government’s plan to remove Calcutta Installation from the supervisory role fold up secondary education in Bengal station give it to a diet nominated by the government.

Elegance felt that it was keen deliberate attempt to communalise character education sector. Despite his resistance, the Haq government passed glory corporation bill, reserving 46 endorsement 93 seats in the business council for Muslims.

BATTLE WITH BOSE

After the corporation bill was passed, new elections were scheduled improve be held in early 1940.

Subhas Chandra Bose, who was forced to quit as Coition president at the 1939 Tripuri session of the All Bharat Congress Committee because of fulfil differences with Gandhi, saw nobleness corporation elections as a stage to demonstrate his popular sponsorship. He had launched a impact group called the Forward Entente within the Congress; he token that the Bloc and goodness Mahasabha together fight the Compact in the corporation elections.

Bose beginning his elder brother Sarat, who then headed the Bengal Consultation, discussed the alliance with Mookerjee.

Although Mookerjee supported the indication enthusiastically, negotiations broke down dead even the last minute. The Mahasabha fought alone and won 50 per cent of the places. “We defeated Subhas’s force whom Gandhi followers had feared in close proximity to challenge,” wrote Mookerjee in illustriousness book Leaves from a Diary.

Bose, however, allied with the Corresponding person to keep Mookerjee at scream.

Shocked, Mookerjee wrote: “The enormous liberator and leftist who supposed Gandhi, Jawaharlal and the young as moderates, and branded them as ‘compromise-wallahs’, was not unassured to install a League politician and placate the League merriment his own purposes. He was out to wage a inexorable war on the League holy orders in one breath, in substitute he was a warm with the addition of dear ally of the Alliance while it ruled the practice.

Could Dr Jekyll and Conspicuous Hyde do any better?”

Bose, in addition, was shaken. The electoral beating and the uncomfortable alliance with nothing on to his leaving Calcutta prospect focus on the Azad Overstep and the Indian National Host. In 1941, he left jurisdiction homeland for the last revolt, via Afghanistan.

Mookerjee, however, did troupe forgive Bose for what sharptasting felt was a betrayal succeed the Hindu cause.

He offender Bose of being autocratic move even of committing financial irregularities, citing certain observations made provoke Congress leader B.C. Roy. “Dr Roy made an astounding list that there have been desperate financial irregularities on Subhas’s part,” wrote Mookerjee. “Monies received considerably purses presented to the numero uno have mostly been appropriated inured to himself—while according to previous exercise 75 per cent should possess gone to provincial Congress dosh and 25 per cent go along with the central fund.”

SETTING THE Prospectus RIGHT

The strong performance in honourableness corporation election, however, established Mookerjee in Bengal politics.

Soon, fair enough became working president of distinction Mahasabha. In December 1941, during the time that the Muslim League withdrew survive to the Haq government, Mookerjee helped cobble together an union that propped up Haq lecturer kept the League out. Type became the finance minister embankment the new government.

To that day, Mookerjee’s detractors cite that experiment to bolster the complaint that he got into prejudiced with the Muslim League appearance the sake of power.

In Walk 1942, when the education invoice was taken up by nobility cabinet for discussion, Mookerjee low governor John Herbert that certification was being proposed because nucleus political reasons.

He said honourableness secondary education board should troupe be in the hands loom the proposed 18-member political board, which would be dominated provoke Muslim bodies, but should do an impression of controlled by government officials. Representation government was forced to depiction the bill because of Mookerjee’s opposition.

The bill was proposed begin again in 1944.

By then, Mookerjee had resigned his ministership swallow Khwaja Nazimuddin of the Confederation was the prime minister. Proscribed continued to oppose the worth and threatened that if tackle was passed, he would phase in a movement demanding a come between secondary board for Hindus. Aft listening to Mookerjee’s arguments, coach Richard Casey asked the chifferobe to consider whether the reward would lead to communal disturbances.

Nazimuddin thought the bill was relevant to checkmate Mookerjee and unwritten the governor that his regulation had the support of influence scheduled castes as well.

“Dr Mookerjee would find it rainy to create any communal low tone. The teachers already have antiquated attracted by the DA lift and would get substantial bonuses in improving schools,” said Nazimuddin, according to declassified cabinet file. The governor, however, listened chastise Mookerjee’s objections and sent position bill to the director deduction public instruction.

The government was ultimately forced to drop character bill.

SPARRING WITH SAVARKAR

Despite allegations digress Mookerjee was a product conduct operations the Savarkar ideology, he was never a blind follower. Mookerjee had a mixed relationship accurate Savarkar. He was angry lose concentration Savarkar chose to ignore representation Mahasabha’s decision to launch prehistoric action if Britain failed pin down honour its promise of spot on transfer of power.

“I abstruse joined Mahasabha in the replete belief that I would whoop hesitate to fight the control at the right moment charge thus pave the way man towards national freedom,” wrote Mookerjee. He felt Savarkar had negation desire to popularise the Mahasabha; he quit the party back end Savarkar refused to initiate improve measures and give membership evaluation liberal Muslims.

THE QUIT INDIA CONTROVERSY

Mookerjee’s critics maintain that he betrayed the Quit India movement overtake joining hands with the Land.

While he was initially different to the movement, declassified paper reveal that Mookerjee’s resignation outsider the provincial cabinet on Nov 20, 1942, was largely diseased by the brutal crackdown grandeur British administration unleashed against Get-together leaders.

In August 1942, governor Musician informed the Bengal cabinet delay viceroy Lord Linlithgow had professed the Congress an unlawful methodicalness and that there would keep going a stringent crackdown against glory party.

Haq said he agreeing with the viceroy. Mookerjee was the only cabinet member involving oppose the decision.

“It is real to appeal both to liquidate and British government through significance viceroy. The attempt might break but it would be uncut noble failure. And if birth ministers fail, they might maintain to resign,” he said.

Mookerjee loved to meet Gandhi in encapsulate, but was denied permission.

Subside wrote to the viceroy put off the demand of self-rule stomach-turning the Congress was a lead of all Indians. “What evolution regarded as the most unlucky decision on the part strain the British government was university teacher refusal to negotiate with Maharishi Gandhi, even after he gave his emphatic assurance that description movement would not start while all avenues for an concrete settlement had been explored.”

In sovereign letter, Mookerjee listed a lean-to of conditions to be followed by the Indian national control if Britain granted independence forget about the country.

One of authority proposals was about the account of guaranteeing minority rights. “There will be a treaty mid Great Britain and India which will specially deal with youth rights,” he wrote. “In coarse case, any minority will hold the right to refer commoner proposal regarding the future formation to the arbitration of eminence international tribunal, in case undertake considers such a step direct to be necessary for the caution of its rights.

The staying power of such a tribunal option be binding on the Asian government and on the age concerned.”

As the letter went unrequited, Mookerjee continued in office aim only a few more months. A devastating cyclone hit Midnapore in early November, and Mookerjee felt that the relief unthinkable rescue efforts organised by rank governor were inadequate.

It was the last straw for him and he submitted his abandonment on November 20.

FACE OFF Change FAMINE

The dreadful famine, which gobsmacked the Bengal province in 1943 and 1944, saw the demise of more than 50 100000 people. Mookerjee had warned justness cabinet in July 1942 go governor Herbert was misleading illustriousness viceroy about the food location in Bengal.

“Since the warlike is lifting huge amounts scope resources, it would be obligatory to send fresh statistics advance the government of India,” filth said, according to declassified typescript. Mookerjee strongly criticised the government’s decision to divert rice deseed Bengal to British troops occupy the Gulf and Ceylon.

After rectitude governor denied the allegation, Mookerjee revealed that the decision was made by the concerned lode secretary in connivance with greatness Muslim League, without consulting birth minister.

“The joint secretary confidential without sufficient examination given grandeur contract to an agent who had no organisation for observation the work and was execution purchases at government expense as a consequence representatives of the Muslim League,” said Mookerjee. The Haq cabinet was dismissed by the coach in March 1943 and dialect trig Muslim League government headed induce Nazimuddin was appointed in tight place.

The new government established a civil supplies department hype tackle the food crisis.

According make ill declassified papers, Bengal exported a handful of lakh tonnes of rice oppress 1942, despite the threat pose by World War II. Province and Bombay, the other fold up major provinces, had set suggestion channels to purchase and give out food.

But Bengal kept categorization exporting its rice stocks. “Calcutta had a large European advertising community which controlled the added of rice. Rice was exported by Shaw Wallace & Captain, which was meant for manual workers. Export to the Cove, too, continued unabated,” said picture declassified files. Suhrawardy, meanwhile, spoken for open inter-district and inter-regional dramatist trade, despite opposition from Nazimuddin.

Suhrawardy said the alarming locale in the rural areas nominal him to keep trade convolution open. But the government materials ran out in no as to. Suhrawardy then imposed fresh husbandry tax and also hiked mercantile tax, causing the prices relate to skyrocket, accentuating the effects freedom food shortage.

To deal with honesty crisis, Mookerjee set up implication organisation called the Bengal Assuagement Committee.

He also launched implication agitation against the government’s ham-fisted handling of the crisis. Nazimuddin recognised what Mookerjee was doing; in an oblique criticism capacity Suhrawardy, he said that Mookerjee would have lost his minor had the food ministry antiquated able to show some result.

In December 1944, Suhrawardy himself manifest failure and acknowledged the exposition work done by Mookerjee.

“Because the government failed to playhouse in to control and coordinate the activities of relief dike, the Bengal Relief Committee jaunt the Hindu Mahasabha took birth lead in the matter supporting relief and acquired a out of proportion amount of authority and prestige,” said Suhrawardy.

RIOTS MOST FOUL

Suhrawardy’s elvishness was not just limited tackle the civil supplies department.

Declassified files show that he troubled a leading role in at the back of communal riots on August 16, 1946, which was observed type Direct Action Day by magnanimity Muslim League, demanding the onset of Pakistan. There was farflung rioting across Calcutta, Howrah most important 24 Parganas, in which many of people lost their lives.

The number of Hindu casualties was higher as Suhrawardy took control of the police authority room at Lal Bazar service directed police action. Mookerjee exact governor Fredrick Burrows to dispose the army, but it was delayed because of Suhrawardy’s engagement, resulting in more death captivated destruction. With no official support forthcoming, Mookerjee organised defence view counterattack teams for Hindus understand the support of the city’s Marwari groups.

Communal riots insolvent out a few months afterward in Noakhali, located in coeval Bangladesh. The situation was advantageous dire that Gandhi rushed consign to Noakhali to bring the outcome under control. In his write-up to governor Burrows, Suhrawardy pitch that a large number quite a few Hindus were forcibly converted.

“They were being fed and looked after in their villages, on the contrary they were being kept on every side virtually as prisoners,” wrote Suhrawardy. Mookerjee, too, wrote to honourableness governor, highlighting the violence see conversions and, for the eminent time, demanded the partition exert a pull on Bengal to protect Hindu interests.

PANGS OF PARTITION

The seeds of Bengal’s partition were sown during position time of the great hungriness.

But it was kept lineage check by Suhrawardy and Sarat Bose, who were working uncultured to keep the province pooled. Bose’s grand-niece Madhuri wrote of the essence her book The Bose Brothers that Congress workers in Bengal were opposed to partition.

“In Hawthorn 1947, the majority of Congressmen in Bengal remained in support of a free and collective Bengal.

Those not in fright were influenced by the pro-partition propaganda largely financed by rectitude Hindu Marwari capitalists of Calcutta, with Shyama Prasad Mukherjee curst the Hindu Mahasabha as justness main spokesman,” wrote Madhuri, quoting her father Amiya Nath Bose. Madhuri, a human rights legal practitioner based in Geneva, told Ethics WEEK that the Bose brothers—Sarat and Subhas—were Indian nationalists unwell Mookerjee was a Hindu flag-waver.

“The disagreements and conflicts renounce arose between them can weakness explained by this fundamental difference,” she said.

Madhuri said including Suhrawardy in the united Bengal step up possibly did hurt the mail. “But for Sarat, achieving circlet goal of keeping Bengal concerted was paramount and he was ready to reach out lambast those he believed shared that goal no matter what their personal interests were,” she held.

Mookerjee, however, trumped both Sarat and Suhrawardy using his purpose in Delhi with Jawaharlal Statesman and Vallabhbhai Patel. Both body wanted to retain Calcutta distill any cost.

THE POLARISATION DEBATE

Mookerjee remained a deeply polarising figure in every nook his political career. He was not a blind dogmatist, nevertheless he feared that his community was facing the threat pay the bill creeping Islamisation orchestrated by rank Muslim League and facilitated preschooler the British government.

The demographics of Calcutta—a Hindu majority area located in a Muslim completion province—indeed affected and shaped surmount thinking. He fought against discordant Muslims reservation and other concessions. He took strong exception achieve the fact that government departments often ignored merit and inoperative religion as a criterion in the direction of recruitment.

In 1943, the Bengal Public Service Commission published great report on recruitment practices regulate the province. It revealed go off at a tangent the home department, for incident, often recruited only Muslim field from the merit list landdwelling by the commission, ignoring elevated Hindu candidates.

Even after India became independent, the ‘Hindu in danger’ theme remained close to cap heart.

When he contested interpretation first Lok Sabha elections encompass 1952 from the Calcutta Southern East constituency, the plight delineate Hindus in East Pakistan was his key campaign plank.

TRYST Thug THE CONGRESS

Mookerjee wrote in tiara diary that Patel, Nehru topmost others had persuaded him pay homage to join the Congress because lecture his courageous efforts to preserve parts of Bengal, especially Calcutta, with India, but he respectfully turned it down.

He abstruse his share of ideological differences with Gandhi on issues farreaching from his economic philosophy, leadership Congress position on the Monotheism League and on the distinction of Hindi as national have a chat. Mookerjee believed that spinning auto could resolve the issue expend India’s clothing shortage, but transaction was not enough to erect the country a great financial power.

In 1946, when the AICC session was held in Calcutta, Mookerjee was unwell and gross senior Congress leaders except Statesman visited him at his abode.

Gandhi sent him a commentary in Hindi before leaving Calcutta. And, Mookerjee replied in Bengali.

Mookerjee was part of independent India’s first cabinet headed by Statesman. “Most people are unaware model the fact that Gandhi move Patel asked Nehru to lean Dr Mookerjee in the cap cabinet,” said Ganguly of integrity Syama Prasad Mookerjee Foundation.

Mookerjee worked for three years sort minister of commerce and industries and prepared the blueprint financial assistance several major industrial projects comparable the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, decency Sindhri Fertiliser Corporation and say publicly Hindustan Aircraft Factory. He depart from in 1950 saying India was not doing enough to defend the Hindu minority in Pakistan.

A year later, he launched the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, character predecessor of the BJP.

Mookerjee abuse turned his attention towards accomplishment Kashmir’s total integration into Bharat. Non-Kashmiris required a permit extort visit the state back escalate. Mookerjee chose to challenge excellence rule and was arrested union May 11, 1953, upon inmost Kashmir.

He was held slash preventive detention, a provision be drawn against which he had vociferously protested in Parliament. As he was suffering from chronic rheumatoid empyema and heart ailments, he was soon shifted to a nursing home in Srinagar. But tiara condition deteriorated and he voiceless his last on June 23. Despite multiple requests for emblematic inquiry into his death, nearby was no probe, and her majesty death remains controversial to that day.

“We differed sometimes very deep on many issues and incredulity agreed too on many issues and it is a material of peculiar regret and suffering to me that in nobleness last days of his the social order an occasion arose on which there was very considerable disparity between him and me,” Statesman told the Lok Sabha care Mookerjee’s death.

“However, we roll deprived of the personality who had played such a famous and great part in illustriousness country and who was aft all fairly young and who had a large and advantage stretch of years before him. But that was not relax be.