In a signed article published in newspapers on Mookerjee’s birth anniversary, Modi said he always put “India first and Indian values first” by building institutions and nurturing systems that defied the conventional mindset of his time.
He said this spirit was evident when Mookerjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh at a time when the Congress Party was omnipresent.
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The Bharatiya Jana Sangh was the precursor to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Born on July 6, 1901, Mookerjee died under detention in Srinagar on June 23, 1953. He had fought for the full integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India by seeking the scrapping of Article 370.
Modi said July 6 is a special day for countless people who cherish the ideals of nationalism and selfless service.
“We commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, whose life remains a timeless example of courage and unwavering commitment to Maa Bharti,” he wrote in the article.The prime minister said few leaders in modern India embodied the seamless confluence of intellect, public service and moral conviction as profoundly as Mookerjee.
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He said Mookerjee was born into circumstances that could have assured him a protected and comfortable life, as his father, Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee, was among the foremost educationists and intellectuals of his age. While destiny placed before him a path of privilege, his conscience led him towards one of sacrifice and national service, Modi said.
Mookerjee was convinced that he could not remain a mute spectator to the turbulence of his times, be it fighting colonialism, communalism, humanitarian challenges and more, Modi said.
Along this journey, Mookerjee endured profound personal tragedies, including the loss of an infant child and, later, his wife, the prime minister said.
These tragedies only deepened Mookerjee’s resolve and strengthened his unwavering commitment to serve. If there was one ideal that defined Mookerjee’s public life above all else, it was the indivisibility of India, he said.
“He stood firm during the upheaval of Partition to ensure that West Bengal remained an integral part of India. A few years later, that very conviction drew him to Jammu and Kashmir. Imprisonment did not deter him, and isolation did not diminish him,” he wrote.
The prime minister said Mookerjee’s life came to an abrupt end in detention, far from the countless people whose cause he had made his own.
Modi said there are moments in history when an individual’s final sacrifice transcends politics and enters the realm of national memory, recalling that Acharya Vinoba Bhave had said Mookerjee sacrificed himself for a cause in which he had faith.
“Years later, the revocation of Articles 370 and 35(A) in 2019 was the most fitting tribute to his martyrdom,” Modi said.
Articles 370 and 35(A) were abrogated by the Modi government on August 5, 2019.
The prime minister said Mookerjee always put “India First” and Indian values first, and he did it by building institutions and nurturing systems that defied conventional mindsets of those times.
Mookerjee became the youngest Vice Chancellor of the University of Calcutta, and in his unique style, he brought positive changes that were patriotic and futuristic, he said.
Addressing a conference of educators, he said, Mookerjee put it wonderfully when he said, “It is incorrect to look upon educational institutions as factories to produce potential clerks and low-paid staff”.
“We have to turn out students who are capable of providing leadership to our self-governing institutions, such as municipal corporations, provincial and central legislatures and also of directing the affairs in various fields of life, such as financial, commercial and industrial ones,” Modi quoted Mookerjee as saying.
He drew attention to areas such as sports, teacher training and student welfare and began a practice of marking January 24 as the university’s foundation to instil a sense of pride among students and alumni. Mookerjee also persuaded Rabindranath Tagore to compose a song for the University of Calcutta.
“Yet another example of this spirit can be seen in the later part of his life, when he decided to form the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. At a time when the Congress Party was omnipresent, he felt that there was all the more reason for an alternative voice to speak up for India’s progress while staying attached to our cultural roots. It was perhaps fitting that the party’s symbol was the Diya, the earthen lamp,” he wrote.
The prime minister said a single lamp may appear modest, yet it possesses the power to dispel darkness far beyond itself, and it is exactly what the Jana Sangh did both during the years it was active and beyond.
He said Mookerjee’s tenure as India’s first Minister for Industry and Supply reveals a statesman whose conception of development was remarkably comprehensive and humane.
“While laying the foundations of modern industrial India through pioneering initiatives such as the Damodar Valley Corporation, the Sindri Fertiliser Plant and a robust industrial policy, he simultaneously ensured that India’s traditional strengths were not neglected. Handlooms, cottage industries, artisans and textile workers found in him an equally committed champion,” he wrote.
Sharing a personal experience, Modi said the Sindri plant, which Mookerjee worked to establish with a clear vision of self-reliance, was ignored by those who ran the nation for several decades.
“I feel honoured that our government had the opportunity to contribute to its revival. It was indeed among the most special moments to have been there for that programme. India’s civilisational tradition has long celebrated dialogue and discussions,” he said.
The prime minister said Mookerjee embodied this democratic spirit, and he joined Jawaharlal Nehru’s Cabinet, believing that the task of nation-building in the early years transcended political differences, and he served with sincerity and a constructive spirit.
“But when he felt that questions of national importance demanded a different course, he relinquished office with dignity and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the political work he believed the nation required,” he said.
Modi said 75 years ago, Nehru brought the First Amendment, which was a direct assault on free speech, and Mookerjee was among its staunchest critics, as he understood fully what the Congress was capable of doing.
“And he was proven right. Those who brought the First Amendment 75 years ago imposed the Emergency in 1975 and 50 years ago, brought in the 42nd Amendment Act, which again struck at the core of liberal democratic values,” he said.
The prime minister said Mookerjee also stood out for his humanitarian efforts, and when the most tragic famine struck Bengal in 1943, he immersed himself in serving those affected.
“As India advances towards the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’, the finest tribute we can pay him is to strive every day to build the strong, united, self-confident and compassionate India that he so deeply believed in. And knowing today’s youth, I am certain they will rise to the occasion and do exactly that,” he said.
