Revocation of Article 370 was the 'most fitting tribute' to Syama Prasad Mookerjee: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday honoured Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his 125th birth anniversary, describing his lifelong commitment to India's unity as the defining feature of his public life and asserting that the revocation of Articles 370 and 35A in 2019 was the "most fitting tribute" to his sacrifice.

In a column titled A Life Devoted to India's Unity and Progress, the Prime Minister reflected on Mookerjee's political journey and said his opposition to Jammu and Kashmir's special status became one of the most enduring aspects of his legacy.

"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," PM Modi wrote.

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"Years later, the revocation of Articles 370 and 35(A) in 2019 was the most fitting tribute to his martyrdom."

The tribute comes days after the BJP's victory in the West Bengal Assembly election, a state closely associated with Mookerjee's personal and political life.

Calling July 6 "a special day for countless people who cherish the ideals of nationalism and selfless service", the Prime Minister described Mookerjee as a leader who represented "the seamless confluence of intellect, public service and moral conviction".

Public service over personal comfort

PM Modi wrote that Mookerjee was born into a privileged family as the son of renowned educationist Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee, he chose to dedicate his life to public service.

The Prime Minister said personal tragedies, including the loss of an infant child and later his wife, strengthened Mookerjee's resolve to serve the nation.

"If there was one ideal that defined Dr Mookerjee's public life above all else, it was the indivisibility of India," PM Modi wrote.

He said Mookerjee remained committed to ensuring West Bengal remained part of India during Partition and later carried the same conviction into his movement concerning Jammu and Kashmir.

Vision for education and industrial growth

The Prime Minister described Mookerjee as a visionary educationist who became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta and introduced reforms by strengthening scientific research, improving libraries, promoting agricultural studies, teacher training and student welfare.

Quoting Mookerjee's views on education, Modi wrote: "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."

He said the quote reflected Mookerjee's belief that education should nurture future nation-builders rather than merely prepare students for employment.

PM Modi also highlighted Mookerjee's role as independent India's first Industry and Supply Minister, crediting him with helping establish the Damodar Valley Corporation and the Sindri fertiliser plant while supporting handlooms, artisans and cottage industries.

Sharing a personal note, the Prime Minister said he felt honoured that his government had revived the Sindri fertiliser plant, which he said had remained neglected for decades despite Mookerjee's vision of self-reliance.

Commitment to democracy and humanitarian work

The Prime Minister said Mookerjee joined Jawaharlal Nehru's first Cabinet despite ideological differences because he believed cooperation was essential for nation-building.

According to Modi, Mookerjee resigned only when he believed "questions of national importance demanded a different course", placing principle above office.

The article also referred to Mookerjee's opposition to the First Constitutional Amendment, with Modi writing that he had warned against curbs on free speech and that later developments, including the Emergency, validated those concerns.

Beyond politics, the Prime Minister highlighted Mookerjee's relief work during the 1943 Bengal famine and after the 1942 Medinipur cyclone, describing him as a leader committed to serving people during times of crisis.

Concluding the tribute, Modi quoted Mookerjee's message to young people: "Whatever work you undertake, do it seriously, thoroughly and well; never leave it half-done or undone."

He said the greatest tribute to Mookerjee would be to build "the strong, united, self-confident and compassionate India that he so deeply believed in," while expressing confidence that the country's youth would carry forward that vision.