Jogendra Nath Mandal was the first Hindu law and labour minister of Pakistan. But he resigned from his post after partition and returned to India, allegedly anti-Hindu bias in that country
Bengaluru: Propelled by a propaganda to create fear and misinformation about the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), which is now a law, by the Congress and its coterie, the entire country is on fire.
But did you know that a Hindu law and labour minister of Pakistan fled to India, unable to face the massive persecution because he was a Hindu?
The law and labour minister in question is Jogendra Nath Mandal. He found a place in the cabinet of the then Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan. But he resigned from his post because of the anti-Hindu bias prevalent in Pakistan and moved to India.
It is also interesting to note that Jogendra was also a Dalit leader during his times and was a strong advocate of partition.
But shortly after partition, Jogendra was allegedly ill-treated in Pakistan. He had also highlighted the fact that there were massive incidents of social injustice being perpetrated against non-Muslims.
So in the year 1950, he returned to his home state of Calcutta, after submitting his resignation to Liaquat Ali, highlighting the plight of Hindus.
And once he returned to his home state, he didn’t stop working for the betterment of non-Muslims in Pakistan. A special mention has to be made about the way he went out of his way to help Hindu refugees in Pakistan.
Not just that, he even joined the Indian political sphere, but the leaders here were not ready to accept. But he was unfazed by all the criticisms and contested elections here, only to lose them. In the year 1968, probably due to the jolt he received in the elections, passed away.
It is pertinent to note here that Jogendranath was a strong supporter of of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and always believed that Pakistan would be a role model for others in the aspect of pluralism and communal harmony.
But Pakistan did not take care of this secular jewel, thereby proving that minorities are not safe in the country.
Last Updated Dec 18, 2019, 2:50 PM IST