Surender Singhal
The grateful nation on June 29 remembered the patriot, leader, educationist and the nationalist par excellence Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library through an exhibition organised jointly by Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Institute and Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. The exhibition was inaugurated by BJP national president Shri Amit Shah in the presence of Governor of Tripura Prof Tathagat Rai, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Dr Mehesh Sharma and scores of eminent people. June 29 basically marks the birth anniversary of Dr Mookerjee’s father Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee.
Shri Shah said Dr Mookerjee looked at Kashmir problem with different angle. “He sacrificed his life against the system of permit, two constitutions, two presidents and two flags.” He said if Nehru had not agreed to ceasefire, the Kashmir problem would have been resolved permanently. “The formation of Jan Sangh was another prominent work done by Dr Mookerjee. At the time of Jan Sangh formation there were 11 members, but the BJP born out of that has today more than 11 crore members. Prime Minister Shri Modi is working to materialise the dreams of Dr Mookerjee,” Shri Shah said adding that if there was proper investigation into the death of Dr Mookerjee all apprehensions that his death was a conspiracy would have been proved correct. But this could not happen.
He said the history has not done justice to the patriot and eminent educationist that Mookerjee was, adding that if the history of the country was to be written impartially, then an important place will be provided to Mookerjee. “It is unfortunate that first the British, and later the Leftists distorted the history of the country,” he said. History has been viewed through the lens of ideology, he said claiming this was one of the reasons, Mookerjee was not conferred his due place in the annals of history.
Shri Tathagat Roy and writer of
Dr Mookerjee’s biography The Life and Time of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee said during the Kashmir agitation when he breathed his last in mysterious circumstances, Pt Nehru declined to investigate his death. Shri Roy said circumstances in the jail were turned so critical that even a healthy person couldn’t survive. When his condition deteriorated he was not provided with proper medical facilities and was admitted to a
gynaecological ward even though he had a heart ailment.
Dr Mahesh Sharma presided over the function. The exhibition focuses on the journey of Bharatiya Jana Sangh and would continue till July 6. ICCR chairman Prof Lokesh Chandra, Director of Dr SP Mookrejee Research Foundation Dr Dr Anirban Ganguly and director of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Shri Sanjeev Mittal with many other eminent personalities were also present on the occasion.
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