Shyama Prasad Mukherjee

Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (6 July 1901 – 23 June 1953) was an Indian barrister, educationalist, politician, Hindutva activist, and a minister in the state and national governments, appointed by Nehru the first Prime Minister of India. Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, a nationalist leader who emphasised organised self-reliance over impulsive agitation, took a pragmatic stance during the Quit India Movement to prevent famine and administrative collapse in Bengal. He later became India’s first Minister for Industry and Supply in Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet (1947–1950) and resigned over the Nehru–Liaquat Pact, citing concerns about the treatment of Hindus in East Pakistan. In 1953, he died in custody in Jammu and Kashmir while protesting the state’s permit system, declaring that there should be “one nation, one constitution, and one flag.” After falling out with Nehru, protesting against the Liaquat–Nehru Pact, Mukherjee resigned from Nehru's cabinet. With the help of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, he founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh 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 with a heart attack and shifted to a hospital but died a day later. Mukherjee’s ideals of cultural nationalism, civilizational unity and fearless national service continue to influence Indian political thought. The Bharatiya Janata Party recognises him as a principal ideological forerunner, while many scholars view him as one of the earliest articulators of a dhārmic vision of the Indian nation-state.

Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was born during the British Raj on 6 July 1901 in Calcutta, now located in the West Bengal state of India. His grandfather Ganga Prasad Mukherjee was born in Jirat and was the first in the family who migrated to and settled in Calcutta.

His father was Ashutosh Mukherjee, a judge of the High Court of Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, and was also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta. His mother was Jogamaya Devi Mukherjee. was a very meritorious student and he came to Calcutta to study in Medical College with the help of the wealthy people of Jirat. Later he settled down in the Bhawanipore area of Calcutta.

Mukherjee enrolled in Bhawanipur's Mitra Institution in 1906 and his behaviour in school was later described favourably by his teachers. In 1914, he passed his matriculation examination and was admitted into Presidency College. He stood seventeenth in the Inter Arts Examination in 1916 and graduated in English, securing the first position in first class in 1921. He was married to Sudha Devi on 16 April 1922. Mukherjee also completed an MA in Bengali, being graded as first class in 1923 and also became a fellow of the Senate of the University of Calcutta in 1923. He completed his LLB in 1924.

He enrolled as an advocate in Calcutta High Court in 1924, the same year in which his father had died. Subsequently, he left for England in 1926 to study at Lincoln's Inn and was called to the English Bar in the same year. In 1934, at the age of 33, he became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta; he held the office until 1938. During his term as Vice-Chancellor, Rabindranath Tagore delivered the University Convocation Address in Bengali for the first time, and the Indian vernacular was introduced as a subject for the highest examination. On 10 September 1938, the Senate of Calcutta University resolved to confer honorary D.Litt. on the Ex-Vice Chancellor in its opinion "by reason of eminent position and attainments, a fit and proper person to receive such a degree." Mukherjee received the D.Litt from Calcutta University on 26 November 1938. He was also the 15th President of the Association of Indian Universities during 1941-42.^{[citation needed]}

He started his political career in 1929 when he entered the Bengal Legislative Council as an Indian National Congress (INC) candidate representing Calcutta University. However, he resigned the next year when the INC decided to boycott the legislature. Subsequently, he contested the election as an independent candidate and was elected in the same year. In 1937, he was elected as an independent candidate in the elections which brought the Krishak Praja Party to power.

He served as the Finance Minister of Bengal Province in 1941–42 under A.K. Fazlul Haq's Progressive Coalition government which was formed on 12 December 1941 after the resignations of the Congress government. During his tenure, his statements against the government were censored and his movements were restricted. He was also prevented from visiting the Midnapore district in 1942 when severe floods caused a heavy loss of life and property. He resigned on 20 November 1942 accusing the British government of trying to hold on to India at any cost and criticised its repressive policies against the Quit India Movement. After resigning, he mobilised to support and organised relief with the help of the Mahabodhi Society, Ramakrishna Mission and Marwari Relief Society. In 1946, he was again elected as an independent candidate from Calcutta University. He was elected as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India in the same year.