'Modiji Wanted To Speak To Me'

'You can say it was a moment that can be described as unimaginable or unbelievable.'

It was in 2016 when the Kerala assembly election canvasing was going on that I met Sadanandan Master, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Koothuparamba, a politically sensitive constituency in north Kerala.

Needless to say, he lost the election.

Sadanandan Master is known as the RSS member whose both legs were chopped off by CPI-M goons in one of the most violent political attacks.

He started walking with the Jaipur foot in six months' time.

This school master was just 30 years old then.

Sadanandan Master's story is one of grit, courage, confidence in oneself and patience.

The interesting part of his story is that he was a member of the Communist party before he joined the RSS.

Today, he has been rewarded by his party for his selfless service so far by nominating him to the Rajya Sabha.

Kerala state BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar has also appointed him one of the 10 vice presidents of the state BJP.

I spoke to Sadanandan Master how he felt about the new positions bestowed upon him.

"Political violence shouldn't be there in a modern and mature society. It is barbaric. You will not gain anything through violence," says the newly nominated Rajya Sabha MP.

When did you come to know that you were nominated for the Rajya Sabha? Was it a surprise for you?

Let me admit that the nomination to the Rajya Sabha was something I did not expect at all.

I am that kind of a person who doesn't yearn for any positions. So, I never even dreamt of such a thing.

I have only been fulfilling the jobs the party has entrusted on me at regular intervals, without expecting anything in return. That's what our organisation (the RSS) has taught us. That's what is expected of us. And that's what we do.

It was on the 10th of July that Respected Modiji spoke to me directly, and said that he was giving me a responsibility.

What was your reaction when a call came from the prime minister?

Initially I didn't realise where the call was from.

It was only later that the person told me the call was from the PMO.

Then I was told Modiji wanted to speak to me, and I was connected to him.

You can say it was a moment that can be described as unimaginable or unbelievable.

Did he speak to you in English?

No, he spoke to me in Hindi.

I just listened to what he said. He said only this much: 'I have something in my mind. I am going to give you a responsibility. You must do it well.'

Once the call ended, did you think about what the responsibility was going to be?

It is but natural for anyone to think on those lines. I was anxious and curious about what the responsibility was going to be.

Within two days, state party president Rajeev Chandrasekharji told me what the party had planned for me; that the party has nominated me as the Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala.

I am still getting accustomed to the idea of becoming an MP.

I know it is a huge responsibility, a responsibility I have to perform with a lot of care.

You lost both your legs in political violence. Do you intend to take up political violence as an issue so that there will be an end to political violence, not just in Kerala but all over India?

Political violence shouldn't be there in a modern and mature society. It is barbaric. You will not gain anything through violence.

I believe that politics is to work for people even if you believe in different ideologies. Different people believe in different ideology, but all of us have to work towards a better society.

When you intend to work for the betterment of society, there is no place for violence in the scheme of things.

I will definitely work towards ending political violence from our society.

I met you in 2016 when you were the BJP candidate in the Kerala assembly election. After losing the election, what did you do as a party member?
You might have done something to impress Narendra Modi to choose you to be a Rajya Sabha MP...

What the Sangham (the RSS) has taught me was all of us have to do service to society.

I have been working for the marginalised in society -- those who suffer from health issues, those who do not have anyone, those who have not been able to educate themselves...

I live in a village, and I try to work as a member of the Sangham I am part of, towards the betterment of my village.

When I was working as a teacher in a school in Thrissur also, whatever free time I had after school hours was dedicated to Sangham work.

Fortunately, I got a chance to work in many fields where I could do some service to society.

Now that I am in my native place in Kannur for the last one year, my karma bhoomi is here.

Wherever I am, I try to be of some use to people around me.

A person who has been working silently all these years has been made the state party vice president and also a Rajya Sabha MP..

It was in 1984, 41 years ago that I became an active member of the RSS.

When we met, you had told me how a Communist party member became an RSS karyakartha...

I have done whatever the Sangham has asked me to do. I never worked expecting anything in return. That's how I am.

I don't look at the new responsibilities as something given to me suddenly, or a reward. You can say I have been moving step by step and working as sincerely as I can all these years.

Please understand that I don't look at the new responsibilities as higher positions. I don't even like to term them as positions.

So, you don't look at this as a reward for the work you have been doing all these years?

No. I am committed to doing what my organisation asks me to do.

Likewise, this is a new responsibility, or a new job given to me.

I definitely don't like to call it as a reward.

There is no difference between the work does by a booth level worker or the party president. All of us are expected to work for the party.

As the Kerala state BJP vice president, what kind of future do you see for the BJP in Kerala?

We are following what Modiji always talks about -- Viksit Bharat.

Our motto also is Vikasitha Keralam.

Only when you have Vikasitha Keralam, you have Viksit Bharat. All the states in India have to be vikasit for the country to be Viksit.

If Keralam has to be vikasitham, every village in Kerala has to develop.

So, our slogan is Vikasitha Keralam.

I see a great future for the BJP in Keralam. We got 20% vote share in the last election.

Now, every single karyakartha is working hard to increase it to an impressive level. And I am sure we will achieve that goal.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff