Shri Narendra Modi, penned his thoughts in an Op-Ed on the life and legacy of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, highlighting his multifaceted contributions as an educationist, Vice Chancellor, Minister and political leader. Shri Modi underlined Dr. Mookerjee's unparalleled efforts towards strengthening India's unity and national integration.
The Prime Minister further stated that the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35(A) in 2019 stands as a fitting tribute to Dr. Mookerjee's lifelong dedication to the cause of national unity and integrity.
Penned an Op-Ed on Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee's life, emphasising his diverse accomplishments, be it Vice Chancellor, Minister, political leader and more. Highlighted his unparalleled efforts in boosting India's unity. The removal of Articles 370 and 35(A) in 2019 remains a fitting tribute to his efforts.
Syama Prasad Mookerjee served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta and later as a minister in independent India's first Union government. He resigned from the Cabinet in 1950 and founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, giving his political legacy a direct place in the history of the present Bharatiya Janata Party.
Mookerjee died in 1953 while detained in Jammu and Kashmir after campaigning against the state's separate constitutional arrangements. The Prime Minister's op-ed placed that campaign alongside the 2019 removal of Articles 370 and 35A, presenting the constitutional change as the fulfilment of a position Mookerjee had advanced decades earlier.
The 125th birth anniversary fell on 6 July 2026, based on Mookerjee's birth in 1901. The PIB item reports the Prime Minister's interpretation of that legacy through an op-ed; it does not announce a new government programme, law or administrative order.
