J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on July 6 attended the 125th Birth Anniversary celebration of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee at Tagore Hall in Srinagar. Paying rich tributes to Mookerjee on this occasion, Sinha recalled his immense contributions as one of the key architects of modern India. It is ironical that decades after Dr Mookerjee’s martyrdom, the highest dignitary of Jammu & Kashmir paid tributes to him at a place where he had laid down his life.
It may be mentioned here that Dr Mookerjee was arrested by J&K Police on May 11, 1953, at the entry point of J&K at Lakhanpur in Kathua district. Subsequently, he was martyred on June 23, in a Srinagar jail after being held without any formal charges for 44 days. The state was then headed by Sheikh Mohammad Abdulah, founder of the National Conference (NC). Due to Sheikh’s friendship with then PM Pandit Nehru, Mookerjee’s custodial death was taken lightly by the Central government.
It is said that Dr Mookerjee’s family was made to pay the air fare for carrying his mortal remains from Srinagar to Calcutta at that time. Dr Mookerjee’s distraught mother then wrote a heartfelt letter in remorse and indignation to Pandit Nehru who had failed to prevent his estranged friend’s well-being while in custody.
“Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee was a visionary statesman, educationist and fearless parliamentarian whose ideals continue to shape the destiny of India. His profound knowledge, and resolute commitment to social cohesion and harmony will always be remembered,” Sinha said.
He said that J&k has launched the two-year celebratory campaign to honour Mookerjee’s life and legacy. During these celebrations, Mookerjee’s role in strengthening national unity and advocating ‘One Nation, One Constitution’ for a brighter future of J&K.
`Ek vidhan, Ek nishan, Ek Pradhan’ was a clarion call that Dr Mookerjee had given opposing the `Permit System’ all Indians had to follow if they wanted to enter J&K. Dr Mookerjee had come to J&K to support the Praja Parishad which was led by Pandit Prem Nath Dogra. Incidentally, Nehru had branded Praja Parishad as “communal’’ for its stance on opposing Sheikh’s policies and his regime.
This branding had emboldened Sheikh who ruled J&K in the most despotic and dictatorial fashion crushing all opposition. It is another matter that less than two months after Dr Mookerjee’s martyrdom which Pandit Nehru had ignored, he had to arrest Sheikh and put him behind bars on August 8/9, 1953. Sheikh remained in political wilderness till middle of 1975 when Indira Gandhi rehabilitated him.
“Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee sacrificed his life for unification of J&K with India. He was a proponent of `One Nation, One Constitution’ and opposed Article 370. His martyrdom in Srinagar while fighting for J&K’s complete integration with Bharat remained a defining moment in the nation’s history.
“Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi fulfilled Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s dream 66 years after his martyrdom. Today, India is making exponential strides in its development journey to achieve his other resolves of building a strong, united and developed India,” Sinha said.
He said the achievements of J&K post-August 2019 abrogation of Artilce 370 are guided by Dr Mookerjee’s dreams and firm resolve of PM Modi. On June 23, 2013, six decades after Dr Mookerjee’s martyrdom, Modi, then Gujarat Chief Minister, had organised a huge rally at Madhopur in Punjab to pay tributes to the late leader.
Modi had then resolved to abrogate Article 370 someday to translate Dr Mookerjee’s struggle against this pernicious article which fomented separatist tendencies in J&K. In September 2013, Modi was chosen to lead the BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. During his first tenure from 2014 to 2019, Modi could not abrogate Article 370 due to a host of constraints. However, within months of assuming charge as PM for the second time, Modi moved swiftly to set it aside.
“Dr Mookerjee was guided by the vision to build a discrimination-free J&K and to change its destiny by complete integration with India. He wished active participation of the people of Jammu & Kashmir in the mainstream of development and nation building. With the inspiration of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee and the commitment of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Jammu Kashmir is setting new records of development,” Sinha said.
He also highlighted Mookerjee’s influence on the intellectual, political, educational, industrial and cultural landscape of India. Dr Mookerjee was the chief architect of India’s industrialisation and laid the foundation of a self-reliant India, Sinha added.
The LG impressed upon the Departments of Culture, School and Higher Education to organise exhibitions and lectures on the life and work of Dr Mookerjee in every school, every college and every university from July 2025 to July 2027.
“Dr Mookerjee breathed his last in Srinagar. The entire Jammu and Kashmir is indebted to him. The new generation should actively engage in honouring his legacy. Week-long exhibitions in educational institutions and theatrical performances depicting his life’s journey should be organised. The monumental contribution of Dr Mookerjee should be spread to every village though grand commemoration events. Our new generation should know that without the visionary leaders like Dr Mookerjee, Jammu and Kashmir would never have been able to realize its aspirations,” Sinha said.
On the occasion, the LG released the translation of new Criminal Laws in Kashmiri language. An exhibition on life and works of Dr Mookerjee was also organised by the IGNCA Regional Office and Culture Department.
Shri Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Vikram Randhawa, and Satish Sharma, Members of Legislative Assembly; Dr Darakhshan Andrabi, Chairperson, J&K Waqf Board; Brij Mohan Sharma, Principal Secretary, Culture Department; Vijay Bidhuri, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Harvinder Kour, Secretary JKAACL; political leaders, senior officials of Police and civil administration and prominent citizens from all walks of life attended the commemoration event and paid their tributes to Dr Mookerjee.
