The BJP’s rise in West Bengal has revived the enduring political legacy of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, linking his unfinished Kashmir project with his home state’s shifting electoral landscape in a symbolic full-circle moment. A report by Riyaz Wani
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s electoral surge in West Bengal marks more than a regional political shift: it symbolically reconnects two distant geographies bound by history: Bengal and Kashmir. At the centre of this arc lies Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, whose political legacy spans both regions in ways that continue to shape contemporary politics.
For decades, Bengal remained a difficult terrain for the BJP, despite being Mookerjee’s home state. His ideological imprint, however, was most forcefully etched not in Bengal but in Jammu and Kashmir, where his opposition to special status under Article 370 culminated in his dramatic arrest and death in 1953. Today, with the BJP’s growing footprint in Bengal, that legacy appears to have come full circle.
A legacy rooted in Kashmir
Mookerjee’s association with Kashmir was forged during one of the most turbulent phases in the region’s history. At the time, Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed special constitutional provisions under Article 370, allowing it a separate constitution, flag, and considerable autonomy. Mookerjee strongly opposed this arrangement, articulating a vision of complete integration with India.
His slogan — “Ek desh mein do vidhan, do pradhan aur do nishan nahin chalenge” — became a rallying cry for his supporters. In 1953, he chose to challenge the system directly by entering Jammu and Kashmir without a permit, then mandatory for outsiders. He was arrested at the Madhavpur bridge and taken to Srinagar, where he was detained.
A month later, Mookerjee died in custody under circumstances that remain debated. His death became a defining moment, not just for his followers but for national politics. Many historians argue that the incident contributed to the subsequent dismissal of Sheikh Abdullah, the region’s most influential leader at the time, whose relationship with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had already deteriorated.
An earlier Bengali link
The Bengal–Kashmir connection, however, predates Mookerjee. In 1929, Albion Rajkumar Banerji, an Indian Civil Service officer from Bengal serving as the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir under Dogra rule, resigned in protest against what he described as the autocratic governance and the treatment of the Muslim-majority population.
Banerji’s resignation is often seen as an early catalyst in the political awakening that later found expression in the movement led by Sheikh Abdullah. While Banerji and Mookerjee stood on very different sides of the political spectrum, both played roles, albeit unintentionally, in shaping the trajectory of Kashmir’s politics.
From Jana Sangh to BJP
The ideological lineage from Mookerjee’s Jana Sangh to today’s BJP is well established. The Jana Sangh’s emphasis on national integration, cultural nationalism, and a strong central state found renewed articulation decades later under the BJP.
The party’s long-standing opposition to Article 370 remained a core ideological plank. This culminated in 2019, when the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated the provision, reorganising Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territories. For the BJP, the move was both a policy decision and a symbolic fulfilment of Mookerjee’s vision.
Bengal: The missing piece
Despite this ideological continuity, Bengal remained elusive for the BJP for much of its history. The state’s political landscape was shaped first by the Congress and later by Left parties, before the rise of the All India Trinamool Congress.
Mookerjee himself had been a prominent figure in Bengal politics, serving as Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University and later as a minister in independent India’s first cabinet. Yet, his political legacy did not translate into sustained electoral success for his ideological successors in the state, until recently.
The BJP’s recent gains in Bengal, culminating in its first major electoral breakthrough in the state since Independence, mark a turning point. The party has managed to expand its support base beyond its traditional strongholds, tapping into a mix of cultural identity, governance issues, and organisational strength.
A symbolic convergence
The BJP’s rise in Bengal can thus be read as a symbolic convergence of historical threads. On one hand is Mookerjee’s unfinished political project in Kashmir — a cause that defined his final days. On the other is his home state, where his ideological descendants have now found mass support.
This convergence is not merely symbolic. It reflects the broader transformation of Indian politics, where regional boundaries are increasingly intersecting with national narratives. The BJP’s ability to connect its ideological positions on issues like Kashmir with its electoral strategy in states like Bengal has been central to its expansion.
Echoes of the past
The intertwined histories of Banerji, Mookerjee, and Sheikh Abdullah illustrate how individual actions can have long-lasting and often unintended consequences. Banerji’s resignation highlighted grievances that would later fuel political mobilisation. Mookerjee’s protest and death amplified debates around Kashmir’s constitutional status. Sheikh Abdullah’s leadership, and eventual dismissal, reshaped the region’s political landscape.
These events, separated by decades, continue to resonate in contemporary politics. The abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, for instance, cannot be fully understood without tracing its ideological roots back to Mookerjee’s agitation.
The BJP’s Bengal breakthrough also signals a broader rewriting of India’s political geography. States that were once considered outside the party’s reach are now central to its strategy. Bengal, with its complex social fabric and political history, represents both a challenge and an opportunity.
By invoking Mookerjee’s legacy, the BJP has sought to create a narrative that links regional identity with national integration. This narrative has found traction among sections of the electorate, particularly in the context of shifting political alignments and aspirations.
While the BJP’s rise in Bengal marks a significant milestone, it also raises questions about the durability of this shift. Electoral success in a state with a deeply entrenched political culture requires sustained engagement and adaptation.
At the same time, the historical connection between Bengal and Kashmir, embodied in figures like Mookerjee and Banerji, adds a layer of depth to the party’s narrative. It underscores how past events continue to inform present realities, often in unexpected ways.
A full circle
In many ways, the BJP’s journey from the Jana Sangh era to its current position mirrors the arc of Mookerjee’s legacy. His final stand in Kashmir, driven by a vision of national unity, has found institutional expression decades later. And now, in Bengal, that legacy has translated into electoral success.
What began as a protest against a constitutional provision in a distant region has, over time, evolved into a defining element of a national political movement. The BJP’s rise in Bengal thus completes a historical loop, linking Kashmir and Bengal through a shared political narrative that continues to shape India’s future.
