Monday’s Rajya Sabha session pivoted dramatically as nominated member C. Sadanandan Master delivered a gut-wrenching account of enduring political terror, captivating the chamber during debate on the President’s address. The BJP associate and ex-teacher from Kerala bared his soul, attributing his prosthetic legs to a premeditated 31-year-old assault orchestrated by CPI(M) operatives.
The attack unfolded mercilessly: Master, alighting from a bus after family wedding consultations at his uncle’s, was seized from behind in a teeming market by lurking assailants. Slammed onto the road, they unleashed fury on his legs amid ideological war cries, forever altering his life. To drive the point home, he positioned his artificial limbs prominently on his desk, symbolizing irreversible damage.
Outrage from Kerala Left MPs followed swiftly, protesting the ‘prop’ via standing orders. Master rebutted passionately, questioning the moral authority of violence-tainted voices now extolling tolerance. ‘Real democracy engages minds, not maims bodies,’ he insisted, invoking national pledge and house permissions to amplify his message against thuggery in politics.
Master’s narrative transcends personal plight, spotlighting systemic risks to democratic norms. He argued such acts not only debilitate individuals but destabilize societal harmony. Graciously acknowledging the Chair’s stewardship of decorum, he closed by recommitting to non-violent political engagement.
Resonating beyond Parliament, this testimony fuels discourse on India’s regional flashpoints, particularly Kerala’s RSS-Left rivalries. It compels a reckoning with history’s brutal footnotes, positioning civility and debate as antidotes to the poison of partisan aggression.