Syama Prasad Mookerjee Birth Anniversary: Lesser-Known Facts About the Jan Sangh Leader

SYAMA PRASAD MOOKERJEE BIRTH ANNIVERSARY: Born on July 6, 1901, Syama Prasad Mookerjee was part of the first cabinet of Independent India. Mookerjee completed his initial education in Mitra Institution in Bhawanipur, Kolkata, and then joined the Presidency College, now an autonomous university. While he started his political journey with the Indian National Congress (INC), Mookerjee later co-founded the Bhartiya Jan Sangh.

The ace politician opposed Article 370 & 35A and coined the slogan- “Ek desh mein do Vidhan, do Pradhan aur do Nishan nahi chalenge (There cannot be two Constitutions, opposing special status to Jammu & Kashmir. He strongly opposed the use of a separate flag for Jammu and Kashmir.

On his birth anniversary today, here are some lesser-known facts about the ace politician:

1. A master’s degree holder in Bengali language, Mookerjee also had degrees in law and English. He secured 17th rank in the Inter-Arts Examination in 1916
2. He enrolled as a lawyer in the Calcutta High Court in 1924.
3. At 33, Syama Prasad Mookerjee became the youngest vice-chancellor of Calcutta University, in 1934. It was during his tenure at the varsity that Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore delivered the university convocation address in Bengali.
4. Mookerjee became a member of the Bengal Legislative Council in 1929 on an Indian National Congress ticket. However, he quit the post in just one year due to ideological differences with the party. He later became the President of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha.
5. Syama Prasad Mookerjee founded the Bharatiya Jan Sangh in 1951 after consulting Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s MS Golwalkar. Mookerjee became the first president of the party.
6. Mookerjee won the 1952 general election, on a Jan Sangh ticket, from the South Calcutta seat. The party won only three seats in that elections.
7. Mookerjee died in mysterious circumstances on June 23, 1953, after he was arrested in Kashmir. The leader was detained in Srinagar for over a month before his death, for protesting against the special status granted to Kashmir and the permit system in place there.

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