While reading the biography of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee by Prof Bal Raj Madhok, I learnt that one from Dehradun, Tek Chand, aside from Professor Madhok himself, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and some
others accompanied the founder-president of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh - now Bharatiya Janata Party - during his
momentous, though fatal journey from Delhi to Kashmir that started on May 8 1953. He died in Kashmir under mysterious circumstances on June 23, 1953. The nation would observe his birth anniversary on July 6.
The history is well-known. Dr Mookerjee decided to go to Jammu sans permit from the Government of India which was compulsory at the time for any Indian citizen before he was allowed to set foot on Jammu and Kashmir. Jana Sangh under Dr Mookerjee’s leadership was launching a vigorous movement for the full integration of Jammu and Kashmir which was at the time asserting its independence from the rest of India thanks to its having a separate flag, a separate Constitution and a separate head of the State.
A passenger train brought him to Punjab. Thousands greeted him at stations the train stopped. It was decided that he would enter Jammu and Kashmir by car. He issued a statement just before the journey began. “During the past few weeks I visited many parts of India...I have found that slowly and steadily even those who did not fully support our movement are realising the grave implications of the mistaken policy of Nehru towards Jammu and Kashmir. Nehru has repeatedly declared that accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India has been hundred percent complete. Yet, it is strange that one cannot enter the State without a previous permit from the Government of India.”
To the press, he said: “Permit system is meant to prevent foreigners and Pakistani agents from entering Kashmir and not to prevent respectable citizens from moving in the country. As a member of the Indian Parliament, I have a right to go to every place within India to study the situation there. This is why I did not apply for a permit.” He was not physically well. That is why, Tek Chand, the energetic Jana Sangh worker from Dehradun, was sent with him aside from an Ayurveda practitioner Gurudatt to take care of him.
After he arrived at Pathankot on May 11, the deputy commissioner of Gurdaspur informed Dr Mookerjee that the Government of India had allowed him to get on with his journey without a permit. Dr Mookerjee was intrigued by the Centre’s change of heart. He was supposed to be arrested en route to Jammu. It took him time to understand, as Prof Madhok said, that it was a conspiracy to push him into Jammu and Kashmir where he would be out of reach of the protection of the Indian Supreme Court.
“Dr Mookerjee reached Madhopur check-post on the Ravi bridge at 4 pm. The deputy commissioner saw him off and wished him an enjoyable journey. But as soon as the jeep reached the centre of the bridge he found the road blocked by a posse of the Kashmir police. The jeep stopped and the police officer handed over to him an order banning his entry into the State.” He read the order and said he had been permitted by Government of India to proceed.
When he said he was determined to go to Jammu the police officer took out an order of arrest under Public Safety Act of Jammu and Kashmir. Dr Mookerjee got down from the jeep. Tek Chand and Vaidya Gurudatt followed. They were all arrested. The rest of the group was sent back. Dr Mookerjee understood that he had been goaded into moving into the State by a conspiracy hatched by the Government of India and that of Jammu and Kashmir.
The leader along with his two followers was sent to a small stuffy cottage near Nishat garden in Srinagar where he spent the last forty days of his life as a prisoner. A heart patient, Dr Mookerjee could not find enough space to walk. His health was failing. On June 22, he suffered a severe heart attack. He was taken to a nursing home. “What took place in the nursing home was shrouded in mystery.” Barrister Trivedi who was pleading his case in Jammu and Kashmir court met Dr Mookerjee at 5.30 pm. He sounded confident that the leader would be set free in two days. A day later, Dr Mookerjee died at 3.40 am. Was his death naturalIJ The question arose as he had died a day before his possible release from the jail. There was no inquiry.