Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and his views on Education and freedom

Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was born on July 6, 1901 in Kolkata, the capital of British India.  A 1^st class graduate of English securing the first position in class he completed his Master degree in 1923 and Law degree in 1924. Dr Mukherjee, a brilliant student of English language and literature, took up his M.A degree in Bengali at the insistence of his father Sir Asutosh Mookerjee, who had been struggling to give Indian vernaculars including Bengali, their rightful place in the University curricula, for which there was no respectful place in the British period. He was elected fellow of the Senate Calcutta University at the age of 23. Subsequently, he left England in 1926 to study at Lincoln's Inn and became a barrister in 1927. At the age of 33, Mukherjee became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta, and held the office till 1938.  He was the President, Post- graduate Councils in Arts and Science for successive years and also the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Member and then Chairman, Inter-University Board.

During the four years of his service as the Vice-Chancellor, he did not spare time, energy, health, convenience or anything worth having in life; which stood in the way of his duty, against the advice of his doctors. He initiated new departments and courses and developed and improved existing ones. His was a leader in true respect an had the highest regards for the Indian culture and its education system as was reflected by his speech delivered at Patna University Convocation on 27th November 1937.

       In his words, “In India also, for century, education imparted through the medium of a foreign language has unduly dominated its academic life and it has now produced a class of men who are unconsciously so denationalised that any far reaching proposal for the recognition of the Indian languages as the vehicle of teaching and examination up to the highest University stage is either ridiculed as impossible or branded as reactionary. But I plead earnestly for the acceptance of this fundamental principle not on account of any blind adherence to things that I claim as my own but out of a firm conviction that the fullest development of the mind of a learner is possible only by this natural approach and also that by this process alone can there be a great revival of the glory and richness of the Indian languages.”

Bihar is the epic center of all great nationalist movements in India. Democracy, Freedom and its values were understood and defined here from times immemorial.  Licchavis ruling from their Capital at Vaishali (Bihar) was the oldest democracy of the world and was a federation of democratic republics.  Anga, Magadha and Licchavis were the democracies existed in the state of Bihar. Mahatama Gandhi started his revolution of Freedom by holding his first satyagrah movements in Chauparan in Bihar. To restore democratic values and democracy in India, Jai Prakash Narayan started his  Sampurna Kranti revolution from Patna. True to the spirit and teachings of this great land when Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee visited this great land the thinking of  divine soul’s and the blessing of the land,  converted into words and that was delivered  in form of  his speech.

            “Freedom consists not only in the absence of restraint but also in the presence of opportunity. Liberty is not a single and simple conception. It has four elements – national, political, personal and economic. The man who is fully free is one who lives in a country which is independent; in a state which is democratic; in a society where laws are equal and restrictions at a minimum; in an economic system in which national interests are protected and the citizen has the scope of secure livelihood, an assured comfort and full opportunity to rise by merit.  This freedom, so truly and courageously defined, is not ours today and until this condition is reached, India will never achieve true greatness or happiness, based on the glorious features of her past civilisation.”

इसका मेरे द्वारा  किया गया हिंदी अनुवाद यहां वर्णित है :-

स्वतंत्रता केवल संयम के अभाव में ही नहीं बल्कि अवसर की उपलब्धता में भी निहित है। स्वतंत्रता कोई एकल और सरल अवधारणा नहीं है। इसके चार तत्व हैं - राष्ट्रीय, राजनीतिक, व्यक्तिगत और आर्थिक। वह व्यक्ति पूरी तरह से स्वतंत्र है जो एक ऐसे देश में रहता है जो स्वतंत्र है; एक ऐसे राज्य में जो लोकतांत्रिक है; ऐसे समाज में जहां कानून समान हों और कम से कम प्रतिबंध हों; एक ऐसी आर्थिक व्यवस्था में जिसमें राष्ट्रीय हितों की रक्षा हो और नागरिक के पास सुरक्षित आजीविका, एक सुनिश्चित सरल व्यवस्था जहां योग्यता के आधार पर उन्नति का पूरा अवसर मिले। यह स्वतंत्रता, जो सही मायने में यहां साहसपूर्वक परिभाषित है , आज हमारी नहीं है और जब तक यह स्थिति नहीं हो जाती, भारत अपनी पौराणिक गौरवशाली सभ्यता  पर आधारित अपनी भव्यता  या सौभाग्य कभी हासिल नहीं कर पाएगा।

Hindu society from the earliest times considered the education of its members as one of its primary obligation; this indeed was a system on which society was based. This system was known as Varnasama Dharma, meaning thereby life being regulated by different classes (Varanas) and stages (Ashrams). The disciples had his physical birth at home of his natural parents but his spiritual birth at the place of his preceptor, where he accepted brahmachaya, with strict discipline of life, regulation about diet, dress, study, social service and religious practices. The view of the education as a process of ones’ inner growth and self-fulfillment evolved its own technique, its rules, method and practices. It recognised that the making of man was primarily the training of mind as the instrument of acquiring knowledge so as to increase its intrinsic potency and creative capacity. As per Manu Shamriti a disciples gets rebirth only thought Sansakar (which is performed after attaining education and knowledge) and then attains the heights and place of his life.

Indian people have got their Political independence on 15^th August 1947, but other freedom as economical, personal, social and national still elude them. Over 70 Crores people in India have an average income of less than Rs. 20 per day. World Bank's latest estimate on global poverty states had 456 million people or about 42% of the population living below the new international poverty line of $1.25 per day. The number of Indian poor also constitutes 33% of the global poor, which is pegged at 1.4 billion people.  India is home to roughly one-third of all poor people in the world. The gap between common man and Capitalist’s has widened. In the list of top 50 capitalist of the world there are as many as 7 Indian’s. According to the World Wealth Report recently released by Capgemini and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, while most countries in the world have increased their High Net-Worth Individuals Count, India has more than doubled it – maximum compared to any other country in the world. India has more black money than rest of the world combined. India tops the list for black money in the entire world with almost $1,456 billion in Swiss banks, followed by Russia $470 billion, the UK $390 billion, Ukraine $100 billion and China, with $96 billion. Indian Swiss bank account assets are worth 13 times the country’s national debt. Most of this money has been stashed away in banks in ‘tax havens' abroad over the last 60 years by corrupt  politicians, industrialists, bureaucrats and middle-men. If the estimates of Rs 70 lakh Crore of Indian black money parked abroad are brought back, this can give economic freedom to the people and can surely lift the 40 crore Indians living below poverty line out of poverty, or it can fund entire infrastructure building for the next 15-20 years. It can also educate all Indian children for next 50 years. Personal, social and national freedom still eludes the people of India. The recent police atrocity on Baba Ramdev and his disciples in Delhi and the treatment received by the Government to Anna Hazare and Civic Society members has clearly revealed the same and too much is desired in this direction.
The writer is Executive Member to BJP’s National Trade Cell N.Delhi                                                           

Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee a Nationalist and his contribution towards Humanity

                             

  This article is written on the to remembrance of THE GREAT CALCUTTA KILLING: NOKHALI RIOT  which took place in 16 August 1946 ,  in which  Hindu population of Bengal faced communal riots. This inspired Dr. Mukherjee to think about the Indian majority population, the neglect in hands of different political parties and promoted him to fight for Hindu Cause. The failure of the Cabinet Mission to solve the problem relating to transfer of power to Indian leaders, the Muslim League under the instruction of Jinnah and guidance of Mr. H.S.Suhrawardy, launched "direct action" against the Hindus in Calcutta on 16th August,1946. Rampant looting, killing & arson went on for 4 days,  Dr. Shyama Prasad stood firmly behind the people during the widespread communal riots, killing and raping organised by the Muslim League in Nookhali district under the leadership of Suhrawardy.  He formed the Hindusthan National Guard to save the affected people during the communal disturbances of Bengal. In 1943 famine struck Bengal and about 50 lakhs. people died of hunger. In those days Bengal was a state which included states of Bihar, Orrissa, Jharkhanda and Bangladesh. During the famine Dr. Mukherejee organized large scale relief work for masses; his humanitarian work saved a lot of lives.

Soon after the rigorous famine the shadow of partition began to threaten the stability of life. Shayma Prasad Mukherjee was a strong opponent of the Partition of India. Even after the partition  he believed that one day the two counties will be united and one.

Dr. Mukherjee is today considered the godfather of modern Hindutava and Hindu Nationalism, which is wrong notion. He was an Indian Nationalist leader who was imbued with deep love to the nation and its people, and bestowed highest regards to the traditions of Indian culture and civilization. He was not a leader of one religion or caste but of masses as his speech and writing will reveal herein.

 On 17th August 1937  Dr Mukherjee delivered this Speech at Bombay University Convocation  - It has often been asserted that the polytheistic Hindu failed to establish a spiritual kinship with the monotheistic Muslim who held much that is Indian in scorn and still seeks his spiritual inspiration abroad. How can we say that India ignored the teachings of Islam when we find saints like Nanak and Chaitanya, Namdev and Tukaram, preaching the brotherhood of man and the futility of caste in matters spiritual? Although attempts on Hindu culture and institutions fill the pages of Indian history, how can we assert that Muslims ignored the appeal of Hindu culture when we find Muhammad Jayasi weaving a beautiful romance to illustrate the teachings of Hindu philosophy, when we read the simple devotional hymns of Kabir and Sheikh Farid, who refused to recognise the barriers of caste and creed on the high road to God’s kingdom? “Utter not one disagreeable word,” said Farid, “since the true lord is in all men. Distress no one’s heart for every heart is a precious jewel.” In the same strain did Kabir proclaim, “There is the same God for the Hindu as for the Muslim.” A rejuvenated India found an Akbar to put an end to political chaos and social disharmony and a Shah Jahan to dream a dream in marble the like of which is not to be met in the world.

On the invitation of Mahatma Gandhi, Shyama Prasad joined the first National Government in August 1947. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the Interim Central Government inducted Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee as a Minister for Industry and Supply. He disagreed with the policy of the Government towards Pakistan.  Mookerjee resigned from the Cabinet on 6th April 1950 on the issue of the 1949 Delhi Pact with Pakistani Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan.  Dr. Mukherjee was firmly against Nehru`s invitation to the Pakistani PM, and their joint pact to establish minority commissions and guarantee minority rights in both countries. He wanted to hold Pakistan directly responsible for the terrible influx of millions of Hindu refugees from East Pakistan, who had left the state fearing religious suppression and violence aided by the state. Nearly 40 to 50 Lakhs of Hindus have been already pushed out of East Bengal.  He considered Nehru`s actions as appeasement, and was hailed as a hero by the people of West Bengal.  It was these factors of Hindu oppression, which promoted him to take the cause of Hindus, the less privileged ones in Congress rule due to their vote bank commitments. With Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Mukerjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (Political Party) on October 21, 1951 and became its first President. He spent the rest of his life in actively building up this party. The Bharatiya Jana Sangh strongly criticized the favoritism & appeasement of Indian Muslims by the Nehru administration. Jan Sangh is currently known as Bharatiya Janata Party and follows the principles of Dr. Mukherjee.

 Dr. Mukherejee Speech at First All-lndia Session of Bharatiya Jana Sangh at Kanpur December 29th, 1952 speaks his aspiration and his thinking towards the Nation:-  “Equality of rights of Indian citizens, irrespective any consideration, forms the basis of the Constitution of India as indeed it must be a primary characteristic of any democratic country. Pakistan's recent proposals for basing her constitution, including minority rights, on Islamic law and principles of communal separatism flagrantly expose the reactionary character of that State.” India has been for centuries past the homeland of diverse people pursuing different faiths and religions. The need to preserve and respect the personal laws of such people specially in matters of religion and fundamental social obligations, is undoubted. In all matters concerning the rights and duties of citizenship as such, there must be complete equality for all. We must be able to carry all sections of the people with us by creating in their minds a healthy and progressive attitude of co-operation based on true equality of opportunity and mutual tolerance and understanding. Our party's door remains open to all who believe in our program and ideology irrespective of considerations of caste and religion. Our party believes that the future progress of India must be based on a natural synthesis between its full economic advance and the development of mind and character of the people in accordance with the highest traditions of Indian culture and civilisation. A nation that fails to take pride in its past achievements or take inspiration there-from, can never build up the present or plan for the future. Our party realises that there is no hope for India until and unless her people living in remote areas, mostly illiterate, speaking diverse languages, following differentiates of life, habits, customs and manners, are welded together into one harmonious pattern in which they can retain their healthy features without sacrificing the organic unity of our nation.”

 Dr. Shyama Prasad believed in the unity of people and believed that the both India and Pakistan will unit one day, on the basis of its civilisation & cultural bonding between its people. In his own words:-

“Our party believes that partition has done no good to the masses of people, either in India or in Pakistan. It has weakened the country in every way and the very problems that it was intended mainly to solve have become far acuter and are baffling a peaceful settlement. To us, therefore, reunited India is not an idle dreamer a mere slogan. It is an article of faith with us, and is a goal we confidently believe would be achieved sooner than later with the co-operation and understanding of the people themselves.”

     Indian culture is commonly known as Hinduism, Bharatiata or Hindutava and has been defined by the Indian Supreme court as a way of life. The Gazetteer of India clearly mentions Hinduism or Hindutava as having the same meaning and is reflected by the Art, taste, living style, manners and culture of the Indian people. “वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम. “ Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam  from "vasudha", the earth; "iva" = is as a; and "kutumbakam", family;) is a Sanskrit  phrase  that means that the whole world is one single family. It is a philosophy which has emerged out of Indian civilization. Accordingly in India every religion has equal right and status. 

   The secular character of India and the nationalist movement called Hinduism is more evident in the lower class of the society were people of both the section of society, depend upon each other for observing, celebrating and performing their festivals and rituals. Muslims artisans help in making cloths decorative and temple for Hindus, and similarly Hindus provide edible items sweets, cloths, Clay, wooden and iron Articles etc to the Muslims. A Festival of one became a bread earner to another, and both sections await and celebrate the festival with equal vigour and pleasure. This reflected the true secular face of Hinduism, and represented the mass feelings and sentiments. The Muslims of India have adopted the Hindu way of life, and the combined their custom and movement and thus is formed Hinduism the way of life. The true secular face of India and the Indians living therein including Muslims is reflected by the religions, rich cultural, artistic character of this great nation and the bonds prevailing between both the communities. Disturbing these centuries old friendship and cultural bond for Political gain is a crime against Humanity, which Bharata Matta (Mother land) and this nation will never forgive.

                                              by V.K. Singh, Excutive Member to BJP National Trade Cell                                                  
                                                  BJP Members reply on email:- vksinghbjp@rediff.com