Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee – A soldier in life and a martyr in death

Born on July 06, 1901 to Ashutosh Mukherjee and Jogamaya Devi Mukherjee in a Well-known Family, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was a child prodigy, who seemed to have inherited all his intellect from his Father Ashutosh Ji, who was an eminent intellectual & a famous educationalist in the whole of Bengal. Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji passed his metriculation in the year 1917 and went on to pursue Bachelor of Arts which he graduated in the year 1921. After achieving Law Degree in the year 1923, he went abroad and returned to India in 1926 as a Barrister.

Dr. Shyama Prasad soon became active in contributing to the area of Education. A member of Court and Council of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore that he was, he represented India at the International Cooperation Committee of the League of Nations in 1938. Added to these are few Honoris Causas, Honorary Doctorates, conferred on him by universities like Calcutta University & Benaras Hindu University. Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji also had a unique feat that one could probably never achieve. At a very young age of 33, he became the Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University. This was a turning point in his life when he earned reputation as a Thinker too. After this, to give a better shape to his unwavering commitment to serve his Matru Bhoomi, he joined Politics.

Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji’s political career started as a Member of Legislative Assembly from the Calcutta University Constituency in 1937, soon after the British Government passed the Government of India Act. Along with being a well read intellect, he was a great strategist too. He successfully stitched an alliance of Congress and Hindu Mahasabha to counter the growing communal Politics of Muslim League. He along with Sarat Chandra Bose, Subhas Chandra Bose’s Brother, even persuaded Fazlul Huq to leave the Muslim League and joins hands with Hindu Mahasabha.

Added to a Vocal Voice that he was for Hindu Rights, he was a far visioned Law Maker. Being the first Industry Minister of independent India, He brought in major reforms in the Industry Sector that paved way for a long term industrial development in the Country. He was a proponent of self-reliant India with an objective “to mobilise all resources, private and governmental, for a cooperative effort make the country Self-Reliant in essential goods, particularly those needed for the Defence of the Country.”

Slowly, as the country moved towards early 1940s, Muslim League started to show its naturally inherent communal colours to the Hindus of this country. While Congress Party remained a silent spectator, Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji rose up to the occasion and became the voice of Hindus. A contribution that can never be forgotten was his role in Partitioning the State of Bengal. Adamant communal Jinnah & half-slept Congress Party had turned into a lethal weapon against the survival of Hindus in East Bengal, the land that was wholly wished by Jinnah. That was when Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji stepped in and protested for carving out of Hindu Dominant West Bengal. It was Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji because of whom West Bengal remained with India after partition.

Regarding Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji was clever to foresee heavy dents to India’s Sovereignty that would be caused if the behind the curtain romance of Nehru-Shaikh Abdullah continued. Nehru turned such a heavy blind eye to Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji’s concerns that it was very apparent to everyone that Kashmir would slip from India, to which it belongs even today. Dr Shyama Prasad Ji then launched an agitation against the separatist Governance mechanism that used to be in Kashmir. With “Ek Desh Mei Do Nishaan, Do Vidhaan, Do Pradhaan Nahi Chalenge, Nahi Chalenge” as the slogan, he unequivocally expressed his commitment to ensuring that Kashmir remains with India.

For Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji, Nation was the Ultimate Entity for which he gave his all. His life tells us that it was power that ran behind him and not the Vice Versa. This is again evident from his resignation in 1950 from the Union Cabinet in protest against the Nehru-Liaquat Pact. This was the same pact that Nehru had a perennial fetish for. Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji contended that it was the same Nehru-Liaquat pact that motivated the Anti-Hindu Pogroms in the East Pakistan. This was the second time that he raised his voice for Hindus.

Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji, like everyone else in a country, was fed-up with the way the Muslim League was unleashing it’s inherently natural communal colors against Hindus and the Congress Party was willfully acting blind and deaf to the atrocities against Hindus. At this juncture, to counter the appeasement politics of Congress, Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji decided to launch Akhil Bharatiya Jana Sangh, a pan-India political party that would be based on the essence of Bharatiyata. The party emerged victorious in 3 Lok Sabha constituencies in the first general elections held in 1952. The party also won in 37 assembly seats in various states, of which 8 were from Rajasthan. During the campaign in Rajasthan, the Jana Sangha had promised to abolish Jahagirdari system from the state. However, 7 of the 8 MLAs of the Jana Sangh were Jahagidars themselves and opposed a bill to abolish Jahangiri system. Enraged by their stand, Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji approached Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Ji and sought expulsion of these 7 MLAs. Such was the commitment of Dr. Shyama Prasad Ji towards the principles that he believed in, even if it meant giving up electoral gains of the party in its early years.

Continuing his spirit to serve Maa Bharati, he marched towards Jammu & Kashmir where he was arrested and detained. Even during his days in detention, his resolve to integrate Jammu-Kashmir into the Indian Territory remained alive. Unfortunately, he died in highly suspicious circumstances in Jammu-Kashmir. Now, he must be smiling from the heavens looking at Jammu-Kashmir freed from the Article 370, by PM Shri. Narendra Modi Ji & HM Shri. Amit Shah Ji.

Tributes to this hero who was a soldier in life and a martyr in death on his birth anniversary.