Harendra Coomar Mookerjee Explained

Harendra Coomar Mookherjee
Birth Date:3 October 1887
Office:3rd Governor of West Bengal
Term Start:1 November 1951
Term End:7 August 1956
Successor:Phani Bhusan Chakravartti (acting)
Office2:Vice President of Constituent Assembly of India
President2:Rajendra Prasad
Predecessor2:Office Established
Office3:Chairman of Minorities Sub-Committee

Harendra Coomar Mookherjee (3 October 1887 – 7 August 1956), also spelt as H.C. Mukherjee, was the Vice-President of the Constituent Assembly of India for drafting the Constitution of India before Partition of India, and the third Governor of West Bengal after India became a republic with partition into India and Pakistan.[1] [2] [3]

He was an educationalist, prominent Christian leader of Bengal, and was the chairman of the Minority rights committee and Provincial constitution committee of the Constituent Assembly—consisting of indirectly elected representatives to draft the Constitution of India, including for provinces of present Pakistan and Bangladesh (then East Bengal) – the assembly considered only Muslims and Sikhs as religious minorities – after India became republic, the same Constituent Assembly became the first Parliament of India in 1947.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Biography

Born in Bengali Christian family in Bengal, he did MA, PhD, D.Litt, and was the first Indian to receive a Doctor of Philosophy degree (from the University of Calcutta). Mookerjee's doctorate was in English literature, and he went on to become a philanthropist, and teacher.[9]

At Calcutta University, he served at various positions—as lecturer, secretary, council of Post-Graduate Teaching in Arts, Inspector of Colleges, professor of English from 1936 to 1940, and head of English department. He was later nominated to "Bengal Legislative Council" and elected to "Bengal Legislative Assembly."[8] [10] [11]

While he was vice-president of the Constituent Assembly of India, and chairman of the Minority rights sub-committee and Provincial constitution committee, he began suggesting reservation for the upliftment of minorities in all fields, including politics. With partition of India, he changed his stance and limited it to provision for preservation of the language and culture of minorities—over the period, this has been interpreted to open educational institutes and other institutions by minority communities.[2] [3] [4] [5] [7] [12] [13] [14]

Following the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, Dr. Mookerjee was appointed Governor of West Bengal from 1 November 1951 through 7 August 1956. While working as Bengal governor, he served as the president of "Desh Bandhu Memorial Society" from 1953. He died in office on 7 August 1956 in Kolkata.

Christian leader

He represented Bengali Christians in Bengal, and after his entry into national politics, he was elected as the president of All India Conference of Indian Christians, representing All-Indian Christians other than Anglo-Indians, who were organized as the All India Anglo-Indian Association.[15] [16]

He was also the member of Indian National Congress and participated in national movements representing Bengali Christian community.[17] [18] He confessed to his community as:

He was the only candidate to be unanimously nominated for Vice-Presidency, with a resolution moved by Pattabhi Sitaramayya, a member of Indian National Congress and Constituent Assembly of India; consequently, he expressed his gratitude in the Constituent Assembly of India that met in the Constitution Hall, New Delhi as:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: States after 1947. 29 July 2008. Rulers. 2008. B. Schemmel.
  2. Web site: What was the Constituent Assembly of India? . The Vice President of the Constituent Assembly was Professor Harendra Coomar Mookherjee, former Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University and a prominent Christian from Bengal who also served as the Chairman of the Minorities Committee of the Constituent Assembly. He was appointed Governor of West Bengal after India became a republic. . rishabhdara.com . 26 May 2012 . 7 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190107062757/http://www.rishabhdara.com/faq/view.php?faq=10&question=What_was_the_Constituent_Assembly_of_India%3F%20 . dead .
  3. Web site: Drafting of Indian Constitution – The beginning . gktoday.in . 26 May 2012 .
  4. Web site: The Constitution-framers India forgot . 6 November 2007 . Represented Bengal. Was vice-president of the assembly and member of the minority rights sub-committee and provincial constitution committee. Went on to become governor of Bengal. . NY Times Co. . 26 May 2012 .
  5. Web site: Forgotten fathers of the Constitution . 26 January 2010 . H C Mookerjee: A representative of Bengal apart from being the former Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University and a prominent Christian . zeenews.india.com . 26 May 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120529125047/http://zeenews.india.com/news/exclusive/forgotten-fathers-of-the-constitution_598978.html . 29 May 2012 . dead .
  6. News: Threats against RI atheist teen being investigated . https://web.archive.org/web/20100613151133/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100612/jsp/opinion/story_12554092.jsp . dead . 13 June 2010 . 12 June 2010. he sole exception for a while was West Bengal's devoutly Christian rajyapal, Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, whose attire occasioned merriment in the school where no one followed his Biblical references.. telegraphindia.com . 26 May 2012 . Calcutta, India . Sunanda K. . Datta-Ray.
  7. Web site: Reservations for Muslims . H.C.Mookerjee, speaking on behalf of the Christian community . drthchowdary.net . 25 May 2012 . 7 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190107062743/http://www.drthchowdary.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=795&Itemid=57 . dead .
  8. Web site: The Constituent Assembly . H.C. Mookherjee . scribd.com . 27 May 2012 .
  9. Web site: Step Aside. 29 July 2008. NIC, Darjeeling district centre. NIC, Darjeeling district centre.
  10. Web site: A study of the Department of English University of Calcutta . Prof. Harendra Coomar Mookerjee served the University in many capacities – as Lecturer, Secretary, Council of Post-Graduate Teaching in Arts, Inspector of Colleges, and University Professor of English (1936–40).. uvm.edu . 26 May 2012 .
  11. Book: Chatterj, Joya. [{{Google books |id=FjQ0iWSq2R0C |page=72 |plainurl=yes }} The Spoils of Partition: Bengal and India, 1947–1967 ]. Cambridge University Press. 2007 . 72 . 978-0521875363 .
  12. Book: Weiner, Myron . Ashutosh Varshney . Gabriel Abraham Almond . [{{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=wB-k3wWeczYC |page=134 }} India and the Politics of Developing Countries: Essays In Memory Of Myron Weiner ]. SAGE. 2001 . 134 . 0761932879 .
  13. Book: Nigel, South. [{{Google books |id=HERbRFAQSHAC |page=134 |plainurl=yes }} Policing for Profit: The Private Security Sector ]. SAGE . 1988 . 134 . 0803981759 .
  14. Book: Hasan, Zoya . Eswaran Sridharan . R. Sudarshan . [{{Google books |id=MO3NiIV_4bUC |plainurl=yes |page=213 }} India's Living Constitution: Ideas, Practices, Controversies ]. Orient Blackswan . 2004 . 213–217 . 8178240874 .
  15. Book: Stanley, Brian . Brian Stanley (historian). Alaine M. Low . [{{Google books |id=2NCvZWNkQxkC |page=129 |plainurl=yes }} Missions, Nationalism, and the End of Empire ]. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing . 2003 . 129 . 0802821162 .
  16. Web site: Constituent Assembly:- . The Chairman of the Minorities Committee was Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, a distinguished Christian who represented all Christians other than Anglo-Indians . lexvidhi.com . 27 May 2012 . 7 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190107062756/http://www.lexvidhi.com/article-details/constitutional-law-in-india-421.html%20 . dead .
  17. Web site: History of Christianity in India . 14 April 2012 . There were Indian Christians such as Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, S.M. George Joseph, J.C. Kumarappa and H.C. Mookerjee who were member of the I.N.C and were actively involved in the National movements. . system46.blogspot.in . 25 May 2012 .
  18. Web site: Happy Gestures . hindubooks.org . 25 May 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111229174511/http://www.hindubooks.org/Retrospect_of_Christianity/ch4.htm . 29 December 2011 . dead .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Harendra Coomar Mookerjee".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.