Syama Prasad Mookerjee (6 July 1901 – 23 June 1953)
Dr. SP Mookerjee was an Indian politician, barrister and academician, who served as India’s first Minister for Industry and Supply (currently known as Ministry of Commerce and Industry) in Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet. After falling out with Nehru, protesting against the Liaquat-Nehru Pact, Mookerjee resigned from Nehru’s cabinet. With the help of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, he founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the predecessor to the Bharatiya Janata Party, in 1951.He was also the president of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha from 1943 to 1946. He was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in 1953 when he tried to cross the border of the state. He was provisionally diagnosed of a heart attack and shifted to a hospital but died a day later.[6][7] Since the Bharatiya Janata Party is the successor to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Mookerjee is also regarded as the founder of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by its members.
Political Career
He founded ‘ Hindu Mahasabha’ which at a later date
merged with ‘Janasangha’ and became the ‘Bharatiya Janata Party’. He was a Cabinet Minister ( I/C of Industry & transport) in the ministry of Jawaharlal Nehru, immediately after the Independence of India. However, he resigned from Neheru’s cabinet due to a difference of opinion on Article 320 in respect of J&K.
Apart from his illustrious political career, he was Barrister by profession and was Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University twice, following his father’s legacy. He did tremendous welfare and improvement in the education system for the University, following his father’s footsteps.
He could have done many achievements for his countrymen, but his untimely death in Kashmir in exile remains a mystery, which ended the bright future of this great son of the soil and a great loss to the Nation.
