In a ceremony defined by historic firsts, the most poignant moment didn’t involve a political speech or a policy announcement. Instead, it was the sight of Prime Minister Narendra Modi bowing to touch the feet of 98-year-old Makhanlal Sarkar. As the BJP formed its first-ever government in West Bengal on Saturday, the presence of this centenarian leader on the main stage served as a bridge between the party’s struggling past and its triumphant present.
A Comrade of Syama Prasad Mookerjee
Makhanlal Sarkar is not just a veteran; he is a living archive of India’s nationalist movement. His political journey is inextricably linked to the very roots of the ideology that governs India today.
- The 1952 Kashmir Agitation: Sarkar was a young firebrand who stood alongside Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee during the historic movement to integrate Jammu and Kashmir fully into India.
- The Arrest: He was famously arrested in 1952 while attempting to hoist the Indian tricolour in Kashmir, defying the permit system of the time. He spent significant time in jail for this cause, a “martyrdom” of service that the party still reveres.
The Architect of the North Bengal Foothold
While today the BJP enjoys significant support in North Bengal, that was not always the case. After the BJP was officially formed in 1980, Sarkar was the man tasked with the impossible: building an organization where none existed.
- Organisational Pioneer: He served as the organisational coordinator for the critical districts of West Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, and Darjeeling.
- The Grassroots Era: In the 80s and 90s, when the Left Front’s grip on Bengal was absolute, Sarkar worked at the grassroots level, often in the face of immense political hostility, to keep the “lamp” of the Jana Sangh and later the BJP burning.
A Symbolic Blessing for the New Government
PM Modi’s gesture of touching Sarkar’s feet was more than a personal act of respect; it was a symbolic message to the people of Bengal. By felicitating Sarkar with a shawl and an embrace, the Prime Minister highlighted the “sacrifice of generations” that led to Suvendu Adhikari becoming Chief Minister. For the BJP, Sarkar represents the “Banyan tree” under whose shade the current crop of leaders grew.
The Last of the Founders
At 98, Makhanlal Sarkar is one of the few surviving links to the original Bharatiya Jana Sangh. His seat on the main stage at the Brigade Parade Ground was a recognition that while the government is new, the movement that created it is nearly a century old. As Bengal enters its first-ever BJP-led administration, the image of the PM seeking blessings from a man who went to jail for the tricolour in 1952 has become the defining “frame” of the 2026 transition.