Tribute to a Gallant Nationalist who Established Patriotism-Based politics in India…

News Bharati    06-Jul-2019
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New Delhi, July 6: Immediately after Independence there was a complete monopoly of Indian National Congress over Indian politics. However, a gallant nationalist Indian, who had served Nehru once upon a time, gathered courage to form a new political party in 1951 named Bharatiya Jana Sangh which was later renamed as the Bharatiya Janata Party. The name of this gallant nationalist Indian is Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. Today is his 118th Birth Anniversary. 
We see today that the Bharatiya Janata Party is the strongest political party of India. But around 70 years ago, it was yet to be born. Dr. Mukherjee fell out of Nehru after independence and quit the Indian National Congress due to differences of opinion on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. Mukhrjee strongly opposed to Article 370 seeing it as a threat to the unity of the country and fought against it inside and outside the parliament. Being devoted to RSS and having been the president of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha from 1943 to 1946, he had developed a strong foundation of nationalism. In 1951 Dr. Mukherjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which, in 1977, was renamed as the Bharatya Janata Party.
Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was a veteran politician and academician. Born on July 6, 1901 in Kolkata, Dr. Mukherjee took his primary education at Bhawanipur’s Mitra Institution in 1906. After completing his graduation from the Presidency College, he completed MA in Bengali in 1923 and BL in 1924. He had a strong academic background as his father was a judge of the High Court of culcutta and was also Vice-Chancellor of Culcutta University. In 1934, at the age of 33, he became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of Culcutta university. Mukherjee received an honourary D.Litt from Culcutta University in 1938.
 
Mukherjee kicked-off his political career in 1929 by entering the Bengal Legislative Council as an Indian National Congress (INC) candidate representing Culcutta University. In 1937, he was elected as an independent candidate in the elections. He served as the Finance Minister of Bengal Province in 1941-42. Dr. Mukherjee was elected as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India in 1946.
 
Mukherjee was taking an active participation in Indian politics after independence but due to differences in opinion he left the INC 1948. Mukherjee raised a strong voice against Article 70 seeing it as a threat to national unity. After consultation with M. S. Golwalkar of the RSS, Mukherjee founded Bharatiya Jana Sangh on October 21, 1951 in Delhi, becoming its first president. In 1952, BJS won three seats in Lok Sabha Election. He had formed National Democratic Party within the parliament consisting of 32 members of Lok Sabha and 10 members of Rajya Sabha. The BJS was created with the objective of nation-building and inculcating nationalist culture in Indians. 
 
Dr. Mukherjee took his last breath on June 23, 1953 on a jail in Kashmir. But, his death is still a mystery. In his memory, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee College was established in 1969. Dr. Mukherjee is deeply respected for establishing patriotism-based politics in independent India.