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Sadanandan Master said, “PM Modi urged me to step forward to fulfill my mission of transforming Kerala into a flourishing state, free of political violence and intimidation.”
PM Modi’s (right) call to C Sadanandan Master was more than a gesture of political trust. (X/PTI)
A day before the official announcement of his nomination to the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called C Sadanandan Master, urging him to accept it. “We want you to accept this responsibility. Kerala matters deeply to us,” the PM told him on Friday.
Speaking exclusively to News18, Sadanandan Master said, “PM Modi has always expressed his concern about the state, and made it clear how crucial Kerala is to him. He called me on Friday and urged me to step forward to fulfill my mission of transforming Kerala into a flourishing state, free of political violence and intimidation.”
“Last evening (Saturday), I met Amit Shah ji too. He was in the state for a programme. He congratulated me too,” said Sadanandan, who holds the position of vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit in Kerala.
Modi’s call to the senior leader was more than a gesture of political trust. It is now seen as a recognition of decades of silent, often painful, ideological work carried out by the Sangh Parivar and their functionaries in the volatile terrain of Kerala’s Kannur, known as the ‘red citadel’ of the CPM.
“I come from Mattanur, a municipality in Kannur — the red bastion of the Communist Party. Over the decades, more than 100 RSS karyakartas have lost their lives to political violence in Kannur’s ideological warzone. This nomination is not just personal, it is also a tribute to their sacrifice. Since 1949, Sangha has been holding ground in Kannur and fighting against political violence and intimidation,” Sadanandan Master said.
After the announcement on Sunday, PM Modi posted a statement on X: “C Sadanandan Master’s life is the epitome of courage and refusal to bow to injustice. Violence and intimidation couldn’t deter his spirit towards national development. His efforts as a teacher and social worker are also commendable. He is extremely passionate towards youth empowerment. Congratulations to him for being nominated to the Rajya Sabha by Rashtrapati Ji. Best wishes for his role as MP.”
Shri C. Sadanandan Master’s life is the epitome of courage and refusal to bow to injustice. Violence and intimidation couldn’t deter his spirit towards national development. His efforts as a teacher and social worker are also commendable. He is extremely passionate towards youth…— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 13, 2025
Grounded in Kannur, speaking for India
The nomination of a long time RSS functionary from Kannur to the Rajya Sabha is also a powerful political message — one that reflects the BJP’s deepening focus on Kerala, the ideological battle with the Left, and the Sangh Parivar’s growing footprint.
As a retired schoolteacher, writer, poet and senior RSS functionary from Kannur, the nomination was ‘long overdue’, said a senior RSS functionary, who is based out of Kerala.
“We have evolved from door-to-door outreach to building schools, ideas, and a nationalist vision in Kerala. From Kannur to Thrissur, every inch has been hard-earned. We have our mandal and taluk committees everywhere. We have made a reasonable outreach among the Christian communities as well. They are solidly behind us and they contribute to at least 18% of Kerala’s vote share,” Sadanandan Master said.
“I have been a writer, a schoolteacher, a poet, and yes, also a victim of retaliatory violence. But the real story is not revenge. It is about modernising the RSS in Kerala, working with society, and never losing sight of the goal — a just and awakened society. With Suresh Gopi in Lok Sabha and now this Rajya Sabha nomination, the BJP has voices from Kerala in both the Houses. This is the broadening of our base,” he added.
Nomination of Sadanand Master, among others, to the Rajya Sabha is an inspired choice.Sadanandan Master’s perseverance, from survival to activism, underscores the deadly stakes of ideological violence in Kerala’s Kannur region. His life is a story of conviction, courage, and… pic.twitter.com/H0isTti5r1
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 13, 2025
Sadanandan Master’s journey from Sangh to BJP
Sadanandan Master’s life is in many ways a symbol of this continuous and ongoing struggle. A district joint general secretary of the RSS in 1994, he lost both his legs in a brutal attack allegedly carried out by CPM cadres, a chilling episode that still resonates in the blood-stained political landscape of Kannur. He was later shifted to Thrissur from Kannur by the Sangh and in 2020, post-retirement, he was positioned in the BJP as the state vice-president.
His survival, resilience and continued service within the Sangh fold made him a revered figure in Kerala’s RSS ecosystem. His nomination to the Upper House not only rewards his personal resilience and ideological commitment, but also elevates the RSS narrative of martyrdom and struggle in a state long dominated by communist politics.
“Specifically, from a politically charged district like Kannur, where political violence always takes place in circuitous and retaliatory ways, Sadanandan Master’s elevation motivates the cadres. He is the most deserving candidate for the position,” said B Gopalakrishnan, a senior advocate and vice president of BJP’s state unit.
Inside the epicentre of a changing Kerala
Kannur, a CPM stronghold, has for decades been the epicentre of violent ideological clashes between Marxists and RSS workers. Despite repeated electoral setbacks, the Sangh has kept its organisational focus intact, often paying a heavy price in blood.
The appointment of Sadanandan Master, who is seen as a living witness to this violence, brings that quiet perseverance into national political spotlight. It transforms him from a regional symbol of sacrifice into a national voice of the Sangh’s Kerala struggle.
Strategically, this is also part of the BJP’s broader south India push. With actor-politician Suresh Gopi now in the Lok Sabha as the party’s lone elected MP from Kerala, and Sadanandan in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP has for the first time placed ideological representatives in both Houses of Parliament from the state. It is a signal that the central BJP leadership intends to keep Kerala firmly on its political radar.
For the RSS, the move reaffirms its influence in shaping not just the BJP’s ideological direction in the state but also its institutional representation. And for Kerala, it sends a message that the state’s political future is no longer immune to the forces that have redefined Indian politics elsewhere.
In Sadanandan Master, the BJP has chosen a figure who embodies both memory and mission — a witness to communist brutality, a survivor and now, a representative of Kerala’s ‘nationalist’ alternative.
Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa…Read More
Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa… Read More
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