Kolkata: Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that July 6 will be observed as a state holiday every year to mark the birth anniversary of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh and the first Union industry minister in Nehru’s cabinet. The state govt has proposed an allocation of Rs 200 crore for its commemorative plans that including the building of a 125-ft statue of Mookerjee at Jirat in Hooghly, his ancestral village, and restoring his ancestral home to its former glory with a museum. A park, library and memorial are also planned in his memory.Mukherjee was born on July 6, 1901, in Kolkata and served as India’s first minister for Industry and Supply in Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet. He later resigned over differences on policies related to Jammu and Kashmir and founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, the ideological predecessor of the BJP. He died in Srinagar in 1953 after being arrested while protesting the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir.Having described his contribution for Bengal as “priceless” Adhikari stated the govt would follow Mookerjee’s ideology. The Centre has already started celebrating Mookerjee’s birth anniversary from last year and it will continue till July 6, 2027, honouring his impact on India’s political, educational, and cultural fabric. A commemorative stamp and coin was already unveiled to make the youngsters remember his life, legacy, and contributions.
