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Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
From having legs hacked off to getting Rajya Sabha foothold: A Master's journey of grit
File photo: Sadanandan Master, who lost both legs in political violence, got nominated to Rajya Sabha NEW DELHI: It was May 2016. Speaking at a rally in Kasaragod, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held up the hand of C Sadanandan Master as he lamented the silence imposed on the story of the victim of barbaric poll violence. Coming from a family of hardcore CPM members, the 30-year-old school teacher was influenced by the writings of poet Akkitham and turned into a votary of RSS's philosophy of cultural nationalism. He was dubbed a traitor by his comrades, who punished the defection by hacking off both his legs in 1994. The limbs were mutilated so that they could not be rejoined. The PM breached the "silence" on Sunday that he complained about nine years ago by announcing Sadanandan Master's nomination to Rajya Sabha - a move 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 as Master or 'Maashay', who is now dependent on his prosthetic legs, did not let the gruesome attack deter him from taking on the powerful CPM in their stronghold of Kannur and elsewhere, and propagating Hindutva. Importantly, he has been arguing against the use of violence to settle political and ideological disagreements. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo If the recognition of Sadanandan Master helps explain his enduring appeal among lay supporters of RSS, the PM gave them another reason to celebrate on Sunday: the nomination of historian Meenakshi Jain. Part of the rare breed that challenged the dominant Left historiography, Jain had to endure resistance and ridicule in academic circles. She, however, earned the admiration of Hindutva circles by detailing the destruction of temples in the medieval period, a taboo area for 'mainstream' historians. Her books - 'Flight of Deities and Rebirth of Temples', 'The Battle for Rama: Case of the Temple at Ayodhya', and 'Rama and Ayodhya' - are evidence of the tenacity with which she pursued her passion. Ujjwal Nikam , the Mumbai lawyer who successfully argued for death penalty for Ajmal Kasab of 26/11 infamy and had earlier argued the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case, is not known for his links with RSS. Yet, his nomination appears to be part of Modi rewarding those who turn out to be symbols of the cause. Ditto for Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the career diplomat who served as foreign secretary under Modi 2.0. He was seen as BJP's choice for the Darjeeling LS seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections before the leadership deferred to the in-house wisdom that the incumbent be retained. The PM may have gone along with the majority view, but did not let the former ambassador slip off his radar. A Leftist-turned-RSS karyakarta, Sadanandan Master's life has been one of sacrifices and a symbol of resilience and unwavering public service in the face of a brutal political attack on him in 1994 in Kannur. For 31 years, Sadanandan Master has been living with these scars when CPM workers severed both his legs, mutilated them on the surface of the road so that he couldn't undergo limb replantation and left him writhing in pain. The brutal attack didn't deter Sadanandan Master as he returned to his teaching job and social service on prosthetic legs. He has consistently spoken out against political violence, especially in Kannur, and has advocated peace and dialogue. "The psychology of violence is that of action and reaction. I am a victim of political violence, and I have always maintained that in my individual capacity, I am willing to take on any role to end this violence," he had told TOI in 2016. Sadanandan Master unsuccessfully contested the 2016 and 2021 assembly elections in Kerala on a BJP ticket from the Koothuparambu constituency in Kannur district. Currently, he is the vice president of BJP's Kerala unit.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Mumbai blasts lawyer, ex foreign secretary among 4 new nominees to Rajya Sabha
President Droupadi Murmu has nominated four individuals to the Rajya Sabha, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday. The nominees include former diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla, public prosecutor Ujjwal Deorao Nikam, historian Meenakshi Jain, and teacher-politician C. Sadanandan Master. Ujjwal Nikam served as the special public prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case.(HT File) Ujjwal Nikam served as the special public prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case. He represented the prosecution in the sessions court, the Bombay High Court, and the Supreme Court in the case against Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only terrorist captured alive during the attacks. Kasab was sentenced to death in 2010, a decision later upheld by the higher courts. Harsh Shringla is a former Indian Foreign Service officer who has held senior positions in India's diplomatic missions, including Ambassador to the United States, and served as Foreign Secretary. He has also held postings in Bangladesh and Thailand during his diplomatic career. Dr. Meenakshi Jain is a historian whose work focuses on medieval and colonial Indian history. She is a former Associate Professor at Gargi College, University of Delhi, and a former Fellow of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. She has authored several books, including Rama and Ayodhya, The Battle for Rama, and Flight of Deities and Rebirth of Temples. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2020. C. Sadanandan Master is a schoolteacher from Thrissur district in Kerala. He has taught social science at Sree Durga Vilasam Higher Secondary School in Peramangalam since 1999 and holds degrees from Gauhati University and Calicut University. On January 25, 1994, he was attacked near his residence in Kannur, a district known for political violence. The incident resulted in the amputation of both his legs. 'The attack was allegedly carried out by members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and was reportedly linked to his political shift away from the Left,' said officials familiar with the case. He was 30 years old at the time. According to Article 80 of the Indian Constitution, the President may nominate up to 12 members to the Rajya Sabha for their expertise and contributions in fields such as literature, science, art, and social service. These nominations are made on the recommendation of the central government and are intended to bring domain knowledge into parliamentary debates.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Former Foreign Secretary, medieval historian in Rajya Sabha: Who are Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Meenakshi Jain?
Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and historian Meenakshi Jain were among the four people nominated to the Rajya Sabha on Sunday. An alumnus of St Stephen's College, Delhi, and Mayo College, Ajmer, Shringla was a topper in the 1984 batch of the civil services. He chose the foreign service and, in a distinguished career, served as India's ambassador to the US, the High Commissioner to Bangladesh and ambassador to Thailand. In 2019, during his tenure as the envoy to the US, the 'Howdy Modi' event was held in Texas. He was the foreign secretary from 2020 to 2022 and served as the chief coordinator of India's G-20 presidency in 2023. Shringla has his roots in the Darjeeling hills in West Bengal. Last year, the work of his NGO Darjeeling Welfare Society, which he floated in May 2023, triggered speculation that he might be preparing for a bid for the Lok Sabha in the parliamentary elections. However, Shringla himself dismissed the speculation and the party renominated Raju Bista from the seat it has been winning since 2009. 'Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla Ji has excelled as a diplomat, intellectual and strategic thinker. Over the years, he's made key contributions to India's foreign policy and also contributed to our G20 Presidency. Glad that he's been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India. His unique perspectives will greatly enrich Parliamentary proceedings,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. Historian in the Upper House Meenakshi Jain is a historian who authored the Medieval India NCERT textbook commissioned by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Her book replaced the one authored by historian Satish Chandra. However, after the UPA government came to power in 2004, the book was decommissioned and a fresh set of NCERT books was brought out. Those are still in circulation but with some changes. Jain taught history at Gargi College, University of Delhi, and became a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research during the Modi government's first term. In 2020, she was conferred with the Padma Shri. Jain, whose father Girilal Jain edited The Times of India from 1978 to 1988, has authored several books. One of her books is Rama and Ayodhya that traces, in depth, the conflict over the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. Congratulating Jain, PM Modi wrote on X, 'It's a matter of immense joy that Dr Meenakshi Jain Ji has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by Rashtrapati Ji. She has distinguished herself as a scholar, researcher and historian. Her work in the fields of education, literature, history and political science have enriched academic discourse significantly. Best wishes for her Parliamentary tenure.' Under Article 80, 12 members are nominated to the Rajya Sabha for their special knowledge or practical experience of literature, science, art, or social service. Vikas Pathak is deputy associate editor with The Indian Express and writes on national politics. He has over 17 years of experience, and has worked earlier with The Hindustan Times and The Hindu, among other publications. He has covered the national BJP, some key central ministries and Parliament for years, and has covered the 2009 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and many state assembly polls. He has interviewed many Union ministers and Chief Ministers. Vikas has taught as a full-time faculty member at Asian College of Journalism, Chennai; Symbiosis International University, Pune; Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai; and as a guest professor at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. Vikas has authored a book, Contesting Nationalisms: Hinduism, Secularism and Untouchability in Colonial Punjab (Primus, 2018), which has been widely reviewed by top academic journals and leading newspapers. He did his PhD, M Phil and MA from JNU, New Delhi, was Student of the Year (2005-06) at ACJ and gold medalist from University Rajasthan College in Jaipur in graduation. He has been invited to top academic institutions like JNU, St Stephen's College, Delhi, and IIT Delhi as a guest speaker/panellist. ... Read More
