It is the 119th birth anniversary of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of Jana Sangh that later became the Bharatiya Janata Party.
One of the most important political figures of the Indian contemporary history, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was born on the 6th of July 1901. Apart from being the founder of the organization that brought dynamic politics in Indian politics, Mukherjee was also a scholar and lawyer.
Here are the 10 things one needs to know about Shyama Prasad Mukerjee.
Bengali Roots
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was born into a Bengali family for Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee and Jogmaya Devi. While Ashutosh Mukherjee was an academic and Barrister, Jogmaya Devi was a notable woman scholar of her times.
A First Class Student
At the age of 23, Shyama Prasad Mukerjee had finished his Bachelor’s degree in law. He also secured first class in his Masters of Bengali and another degree in English.
London Acknowledged His Excellence
When he was in London to practice in the Honorable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, he was called to the English bar for his excellence as a barrister. This was just two years after he had attained a degree in law. He was 26 at that time.
Becoming Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University
At the young age of 33, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University. He still remains the youngest person to be appointed as a VC at the University.
Time At The Indian National Congress
Mukherjee became a part of the Bengal Legislative Council in 1929 from the Indian National Congress. He was representing Calcutta University. Due to political disagreements, he quit the party and decided to contest as an Independent candidate.
President of Hindu Mahasabha
He resigned from the coalition government of Fazlul Haque and was immediately appointed as the President of the Hindu Mahasabha in Bengal. He was later appointed as the President of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha.
Boycotting Quit India Movement
The Hindu Mahasabha boycotted the Quit India Movement launched by the Indian National Congress. Mukherjee was also followed the suit as he feared that the movement might put the cultural integrity of the country in danger.
The founding of Jana Sangh
After consulting MS Golwalkar of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee founded the Jana Sangh in 1951.
Opposition to Article 370
All his life, he opposed Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and wrote extensively on the topic. He believed that the article might hinder the dream of cultural unification. To Protest against this, he went to Jammu and Kashmir from where he was arrested for illegal intrusion and was detained on 23rd June 1953.
The formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party
The Jana Sangh merged with all the non-congress parties to form the Janata Party. The party is now called the Bharatiya Janata Party, the seeds of which was sowed by Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.
Source: DNA India
