Syama Prasad Mookerjee

Syama Prasad Mookerjee : Recently, the Department of Posts, Government of India, issued a commemorative postage stamp to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, a prominent nationalist, educationist, and constitutional thinker.

• About Syama Prasad Mookerjee : Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), Dr. Mookerjee was the son of Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee, a renowned educationist and Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University.

o Represented Calcutta University at the Conference of the Universities of the British Empire in England.

o Became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University in 1934, at the age of 33.

o Started "Bang Wani", a Bengali journal (1922), and "The Nationalist" in the 1940s.

o Strong proponent of nationalism, Hindu cultural identity, and a united India.

o Died in 1953 and remembered as "The Lion of Parliament" for his powerful debates and principled stance on national issues.

• Political Journey: Joined the Indian National Congress in the 1920s but resigned due to ideological differences.

o Later joined the Hindu Mahasabha and became Finance Minister in Bengal's Progressive Coalition government (1937).

o Served as Acting President of the Hindu Mahasabha in 1940 and strongly advocated for complete independence.

o Founded the All India Bharatiya Jan Sangh in 1951, which later evolved into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

o Appointed Minister for Industry and Supply in the Interim Government after independence.