Narendra Modi – Prime Minister
July 6 marks the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Few leaders in modern India embodied the seamless confluence of intellect, public service and moral conviction as profoundly as Dr Mookerjee.
Dr Mookerjee was born into circumstances that could easily have assured him a protected and comfortable life. His father, Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee, was among the foremost educationists and intellectuals of his age. Yet, while destiny placed before him a path of privilege, his conscience led him towards one of sacrifice and national service. He 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.
If there was one ideal that defined his public life above all else, it was the indivisibility of India. 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. His life came to an abrupt end in detention. There are moments in history when an individual’s final sacrifice transcends politics and enters the realm of national memory. Dr Mookerjee’s last journey remains one such moment. Years later, the revocation of Articles 370 and 35(A) in 2019 was the most fitting tribute to his martyrdom.
Dr Mookerjee put India and Indian values first. And he did it by building institutions and nurturing systems that defied conventional mindsets of those times. He became the youngest vice-chancellor of the University of Calcutta. Addressing a conference of educators, Dr 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… and also of directing the affairs in various fields of life such as financial, commercial and industrial ones.”
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. It was perhaps fitting that the party’s symbol was the ‘diya’, the earthen lamp. A single lamp may appear modest, yet it possesses the power to dispel darkness far beyond itself.
Dr Mookerjee’s tenure as India’s first Minister for Industry and Supply reveals a statesman whose conception of development was remarkably comprehensive and humane. He viewed industry as a means of restoring dignity, opportunity and confidence to a newly independent nation. 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.
The Sindri plant, which Dr 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.
Dr Mookerjee joined Pandit Nehru’s cabinet, believing that the task of nation-building in the early years transcended political differences. But when he felt that questions of national importance demanded a different course, he relinquished office and devoted himself to the political work he believed the nation required.
Seventy-five years ago, Nehru brought the first amendment, which was a direct assault on free speech. Dr Mookerjee was among its staunchest critics.
Dr Mookerjee also stood out for his humanitarian efforts. When the most tragic famine struck Bengal in 1943, he immersed himself in serving those affected. When a super cyclone hit Medinipur in 1942, his efforts to restore normalcy were widely lauded.
Speaking at a college in Kolkata, Dr Mookerjee urged the youth, “Whatever work you undertake, do it seriously, thoroughly and well; never leave it half-done or undone, never feel yourself satisfied unless and until you have given it your very best.”
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.
