Delhi Assembly commits to document lives of 45 lesser-known nation builders

The Delhi Assembly has undertaken the task of documenting and publishing the lives of nearly 45 nation-builders, said the Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Monday.

Addressing a gathering, during an event organised by the Delhi Public Library and the Ministry of Culture to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Speaker Gupta said, “History often gathers dust over those who shaped the nation. It is our collective responsibility to restore such nation-builders to their rightful place in the public consciousness.”

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He said the state assembly is committed to preserving India’s intellectual, cultural and constitutional heritage and ensuring future generations remain connected to the ideals and sacrifices that shaped the nation.

Gupta described Mookerjee as a statesman who consistently placed national interest above political office.

He noted that although Mookerjee served as the Minister for Industry in independent India’s first Union Cabinet, he was never a member of the Congress party and had joined the Cabinet at the suggestion of Mahatma Gandhi, alongside Dr B.R. Ambedkar, to ensure wider national representation in the country’s first government.

Gupta observed that Mookerjee eventually resigned from the Union Cabinet due to principled differences regarding the Jammu and Kashmir policy. He asserted that Mookerjee’s opposition to the idea of “one nation with two Constitutions, two flags and two heads” reflected his unwavering commitment to India’s unity, constitutional integrity and sovereign identity. He said Mookerjee’s life remains a lasting reminder that public office must always be guided by conviction, courage and the larger national interest.

Referring to his recent visit to the border villages of Turtuk, Thang, Tyakshi and Chalunka in Ladakh, Gupta said he witnessed first-hand the extraordinary patriotic spirit of residents living along India’s frontiers despite the region’s challenging terrain. He paid tribute to the courage and sacrifice of the Indian Armed Forces during the 1971 war, recalling that nearly 800 square kilometres of territory were reclaimed under some of the world’s most difficult climatic conditions.