The Hindutva brigade is fond of declaring Dr.
Mookerjee as great nationalist and patriot who laid down his life for the unity
of the nation. Modi described him as "a statesman, thinker and a patriot
who devoted his life towards strengthening national integration". The Hindutva
rhetoric about patriotism of Dr. Mookerjee needs to be cross-checked with the
contemporary documents available even in RSS and Hindu Mahasabha archives. Perusal
of these documents clearly shows that the claim that Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee
was a 'selfless patriot' and a great patriot right from his birth is a white
lie. Dr Mookerjee never-never participated in the anti-colonial freedom struggle.
If patriotism means being part of the freedom struggle and making sacrifices,
Dr Mookerjee not only kept aloof from it but also betrayed it by collaborating with
the British rulers and the Muslim League in order to crush and communally
polarize the anti-British liberation movement.
S. Islam
