Shyama Parsad's
sacrifice
Sir,
This has reference
to the article "He sacrified for a cause
Daily Excelsior June 26 by Dr. D C Sharma
Dr. Shyama Parsad
Mukerjee, once veteran fighter and senior
Congress leader who vociferously participated in
country's freedom struggle in Pre-Independence
era was unfortunately labeled as communal leader
and stoutly opposed to the interests of farmers
and poor people. Whatever may be the reason for
his resignation from the Union Cabinet, the
causes attributed to his resignation are beyond
the real facts. As for as my memory works he
resigned from the Union Cabinet due to his
difference on adoption of Hindi as National
language.
The enactment of
"Big land Estate Abolition Act" by the
then Sheikh Abdullah Government in J&K State
and setting up of "Debt Reconciliation
Boards" were undoubtedly radical measures
and were of vital significance as their measures
benefitted the majority of poor people comprising
landless peasants, tillers. It is, therefore,
incorrect to say that interests of comparatively
poor people whose economic conditions had been
rendered difficult was altogether ignored. The
above laws were not directed against any
particular comity, rather these acts were part of
"Naya Kashmir programme" and were first
of its kind in the entire country.
These acts were,
however, irksome for few land lords and money
lenders who were irked by such enactments and to
safeguard their interests and privileges formed
the political outfit of Praja Parishad and
started agitating against the then government by
raising communal passion of the people and
demanding abrogation of Article 370 of the
constitution of India which guaranteed special
status to J&K State. Because of the communal
approach, this agitation remained confined to the
Districts of Kathua, Udhampur and Jammu and could
not get momentum in other Districts of Jammu
region except few pockets.
Dr. Mukerjee's
role, mission was the complete integration of
J&K State with rest of the country. To
achieve this objective he decided to enter the
State without valid travel documents. He was
arrested at Lakhanpur (Kathua) alongwith his
other followers and taken to Srinagar (Kashmir)
and detained there is Nehru Guest House at Chasma
Shahi, 13 kms from Srinagar city where he
suffered a heart attack and died. The assertion
that he breathed his last at a private House on
Jammu Srinagar National High way located at about
80 miles from Jammu is altogether incorrect and
amounts to distortion of facts, which if not,
discounted, automatically assume historical
significance. He definitely scarified for a
cause, but not that attributed to him by the
author. His followers not only compromised with
the then regime of Bakshi Gulam Mohammad but also
forgot him and they never in the past 48 years
celebrated his death anniversary with such
enthusiasm as it was celebrated this year on 23rd
June 2001. The reason is simple that proponents
of separate Statehood for Jammu now wanted to
exploit this occasion and sacrifice of Dr. Shyama
Parsad Mukerjee for their vested interest which
they could not otherwise achieve during past 53
years of independence.
Yours etc....
Sain Dass Sumbria
126, Pacci Dakki,
Jammu
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