One of India’s greatest patriots, educationists, fearless campaigners for national unity Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee was recently remembered for his exceptional contributions to the country in general and Assam in particular. The regional centre of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in collaboration with Assam directorate of Museums, Indigenous and Tribal Faith and Culture organized the program on 31 July 2025 in the city. Chairing the event, Dr Nilima Bhagabati, a retired professor of Gauhati University, termed SP Mookerjee as a courageous son of Bharat, who did not hesitate to speak the truth irrespective of any consequences. The award winning academician in the field of research and a vice-president of Akhil Bharatiya Sikshan Mandal, Prof Bhagabati profoundly stated that Mookerjee sacrificed his life for the unity and integrity of motherland. His clarion call for rejecting two Constitutions and two flags in one country (referring to Jammu & Kashmir) made ripples among the common Indians.
Gracing the function as the chief guest illustrious Assamese cultural personality Pranjal Saikia paid tributes to Mookerjee for his unconditional support to Assam and Asomiya in a critical juncture of time. Earlier the sacred Bonti (lamp) was lit in front of a Mookerjee’s portrait by the distinguished guests in presence of IGNCA-RC director Dr Sapam Ranabir Singh. Addressing the gathering, Mita Nath Bora, a researcher on Dr Mookerjee, commented that his role (along with that of Netaji’s elder brother Sarat Chandra Bose) in saving Assam from being included into East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) during the partition is always regarded. Gandhian Pushpalata Das had officially acknowledged how Gopinath Bordoloi and a few freedom fighters from Assam were supported by Mookerjee at the initial stage over the mission. Mookerjee also advocated for Asomiya to be the official language of Assam, added Ms Bora.
Following the consultation and support from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (then chief Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar), Mookerjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, a political party with a nationalist outlook, in 1951 after deserting Hindu Mahasabha. Needless to mention that, the current-day Bharatiya Janata Party was formed out of Jana Sangh in 1980. He was against the partition, but when it became imminent, Mookerjee insisted on retaining Hindu-majority locality of Bengal with India. So the credit should go to Mookerjee for West Bengal being an integral part of India and that he should be regarded as the founder of Paschim Banga.
Moreover, with the entire Bengal going to East Pakistan, the north-eastern region would have been completely isolated from the rest of India (not even connected by the narrow Siliguri corridor). Opposing the Jammu & Kashmir permit system, Mookerjee marched to the frontier province and subsequently he was arrested on 11 May 1953. During his days in Srinagar he died under mysterious circumstances on 23 June 1953. No postmortem was carried out and the authority did not allow the body to be carried to New Delhi (rather his mortal remains were directly flown to Calcutta). His mother Jogmaya Devi with many demanded an inquiry into Mookerjee’s unexplained death. But the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru did not agree to it.
Remembering SP Mookerjee
