Agartala, June 23: On the occasion of Balidan Diwas, the Tripura unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) paid rich tributes to nationalist icon Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, remembering his immense contribution to India’s unity and sovereignty. A commemorative event was held at the State BJP headquarters in Agartala on Monday.
Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha led the floral tribute ceremony and addressed party members, reflecting on Dr. Mookerjee’s life as a visionary leader and a courageous patriot. “Dr. Mookerjee was not only one of the youngest Vice Chancellors of Calcutta University but also a fearless voice against the division of India. His legacy lives on through the vision of ‘Akhand Bharat’,” Dr. Saha said.
Highlighting Dr. Mookerjee’s stand against Article 370, the Chief Minister recalled his resignation from Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet and his launch of a Satyagraha against the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. “His powerful slogan—‘Ek Desh Mein Do Nishan, Do Vidhan, Do Pradhan Nahi Chalenge’—became a rallying cry for national integration,” he said.
Dr. Mookerjee was arrested during his civil disobedience movement and died in custody in Srinagar in 1953. “Despite his mother’s demand, no independent probe was ordered into his death. His sacrifice, however, was not in vain,” Dr. Saha noted, linking the revocation of Article 370 in 2019 to Dr. Mookerjee’s enduring legacy.
BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee announced that state-wide events are being held to honor Dr. Mookerjee’s sacrifice. As part of the tribute, the party also launched the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, encouraging citizens to plant trees in their mothers’ names—promoting ecological awareness rooted in emotional and cultural values.
Ministers Tinku Roy, Sushanta Chowdhury, Sudhangshu Das, AMC Mayor Dipak Majumder, and other party leaders were present.
