10-13-2006, 05:57 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-kalyansarkar+Oct 13 2006, 02:34 AM-->QUOTE(kalyansarkar @ Oct 13 2006, 02:34 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Its true that Shyamaprasad Mookerjee was a Minister in the Cabinet formed after the Partition. but the Cabinet included a few non-Congress ministers, namely Shyamaprasad Mookerjee. But he never joined the Congress.
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Dr Mookerjee even contested the election for the provincial government of Bengal on a Congress ticket, pre-independence. He then resigned, like all other elected members, and contested again as independent candidate. He then joined Hindu Mahasabha, and continued until the assassination of Gandhiji, when he resigned from Mahasabha. He continued in the interim cabinet of Nehru even after quitting Mahasabha until 1949, when he resigned to protest against the muslim appeasement policies of Nehru. You are probably right in saying he was a "non-congress" cabinet minister in Nehru's government. It was the initiative of Sardar Patel to include him in the cabinet. Also, the way Sardar Patel, and Dr. Mookerjee seem to have worked hand in hand, it shows the direction Sardar Patel wanted to drive the mainstream congress into.
However, let us understand, Congress back then was not a "political party", as we understand it to be today. It was a lose and open forum where all political workers can came to, with a variety of agendas and ideologies, but for the goal of attaining India's independence. Even RSS founder Dr. Hedgewar also attended and supported, many of the movements initiated by congress. It is because of this 'all included' natue of congress, is why after independence there was a strong recommendation that congress must be dismantled since the objective of independence has been acheived.
So saying Mookerji was never in conress may not be very accurate in the spirit, although it maybe in the strict sense. Gandhi was also never in congress by that measurement - never a member, never an officer, never contested any election.
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Dr Mookerjee even contested the election for the provincial government of Bengal on a Congress ticket, pre-independence. He then resigned, like all other elected members, and contested again as independent candidate. He then joined Hindu Mahasabha, and continued until the assassination of Gandhiji, when he resigned from Mahasabha. He continued in the interim cabinet of Nehru even after quitting Mahasabha until 1949, when he resigned to protest against the muslim appeasement policies of Nehru. You are probably right in saying he was a "non-congress" cabinet minister in Nehru's government. It was the initiative of Sardar Patel to include him in the cabinet. Also, the way Sardar Patel, and Dr. Mookerjee seem to have worked hand in hand, it shows the direction Sardar Patel wanted to drive the mainstream congress into.
However, let us understand, Congress back then was not a "political party", as we understand it to be today. It was a lose and open forum where all political workers can came to, with a variety of agendas and ideologies, but for the goal of attaining India's independence. Even RSS founder Dr. Hedgewar also attended and supported, many of the movements initiated by congress. It is because of this 'all included' natue of congress, is why after independence there was a strong recommendation that congress must be dismantled since the objective of independence has been acheived.
So saying Mookerji was never in conress may not be very accurate in the spirit, although it maybe in the strict sense. Gandhi was also never in congress by that measurement - never a member, never an officer, never contested any election.