From having legs hacked off to getting Rajya Sabha foothold: A Master's journey of grit

NEW DELHI: It was May 2016. Speaking astatine a rally successful Kasaragod, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held up the manus of C Sadanandan Master arsenic helium lamented the soundlessness imposed connected the communicative of the unfortunate of barbaric canvass violence.

Coming from a household of hardcore CPM members, the 30-year-old schoolhouse teacher was influenced by the writings of writer Akkitham and turned into a votary of RSS's doctrine of taste nationalism. He was dubbed a traitor by his comrades, who punished the defection by hacking disconnected some his legs successful 1994. The limbs were mutilated truthful that they could not beryllium rejoined. The PM breached the "silence" connected Sunday that helium complained astir 9 years agone by announcing Sadanandan Master's information to Rajya Sabha - a determination that lakhs of members and sympathisers of RSS would applaud.For, if the atrocity was meant to intimidate him into submission, the attackers failed miserably. Sadanandan, popularly known arsenic Master oregon 'Maashay', who is present babelike connected his prosthetic legs, did not fto the gruesome onslaught deter him from taking connected the almighty CPM successful their stronghold of Kannur and elsewhere, and propagating Hindutva. Importantly, helium has been arguing against the usage of unit to settee governmental and ideological disagreements.

If the designation of Sadanandan Master helps explicate his enduring entreaty among laic supporters of RSS, the PM gave them different crushed to observe connected Sunday: the information of historiographer Meenakshi Jain. Part of the uncommon breed that challenged the ascendant Left historiography, Jain had to endure absorption and ridicule successful world circles. She, however, earned the admiration of Hindutva circles by detailing the demolition of temples successful the medieval period, a taboo country for 'mainstream' historians.

Her books - 'Flight of Deities and Rebirth of Temples', 'The Battle for Rama: Case of the Temple astatine Ayodhya', and 'Rama and Ayodhya' - are grounds of the tenacity with which she pursued her passion.

Ujjwal Nikam, the Mumbai lawyer who successfully argued for decease punishment for Ajmal Kasab of 26/11 infamy and had earlier argued the 1993 Mumbai serial weaponry blasts case, is not known for his links with RSS. Yet, his information appears to beryllium portion of Modi rewarding those who crook retired to beryllium symbols of the cause. Ditto for Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the vocation diplomat who served arsenic overseas caput nether Modi 2.0. He was seen arsenic BJP's prime for the Darjeeling LS spot successful the 2024 Lok Sabha elections earlier the enactment deferred to the in-house contented that the incumbent beryllium retained. The PM whitethorn person gone on with the bulk view, but did not fto the erstwhile ambassador gaffe disconnected his radar.A Leftist-turned-RSS karyakarta, Sadanandan Master's beingness has been 1 of sacrifices and a awesome of resilience and unwavering nationalist work successful the look of a brutal governmental onslaught connected him successful 1994 successful Kannur.

For 31 years, Sadanandan Master has been surviving with these scars erstwhile CPM workers severed some his legs, mutilated them connected the aboveground of the roadworthy truthful that helium couldn't acquisition limb replantation and near him writhing successful pain.The brutal onslaught didn't deter Sadanandan Master arsenic helium returned to his teaching occupation and societal work connected prosthetic legs. He has consistently spoken retired against governmental violence, particularly successful Kannur, and has advocated bid and dialogue."The science of unit is that of enactment and reaction. I americium a unfortunate of governmental violence, and I person ever maintained that successful my idiosyncratic capacity, I americium consenting to instrumentality connected immoderate relation to extremity this violence," helium had told TOI successful 2016.Sadanandan Master unsuccessfully contested the 2016 and 2021 assembly elections successful Kerala connected a BJP summons from the Koothuparambu constituency successful Kannur district. Currently, helium is the vice president of BJP's Kerala unit.