The Monsoon Session of Parliament began on a solemn and significant note Monday as five Rajya Sabha members, including three nominated members, took the oath of allegiance to the Constitution. Among them, C Sadanandan Master, a teacher and social worker from Kerala, drew widespread attention and admiration as he took his oath in Malayalam, invoking the name of God.
The five new members sworn in were Birendra Prasad Baishya (Asom Gana Parishad), Kanad Purkayastha (BJP), and three other nominated members, historian Meenakshi Jain, former External Affairs Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, C Sadanandan Master. Their oath-taking marked the formal start of the Rajya Sabha proceedings for the Monsoon Session.
Sadanandan Master, who hails from Mattannur in Kerala’s Kannur district, is a veteran social worker, educationist, and the current state vice-president of the BJP in Kerala. In a moment that resonated deeply across the political spectrum, he took his oath in Malayalam, making his presence felt on the national stage with quiet dignity and resolve.
Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar lauded Sadanandan master’s service, describing him as “an inspiration in the field of social service and education.” Sadanandan master had lost both his legs in a brutal attack by CPI(M) activists on January 25, 1994. Despite this, he has remained active in public life, contesting the Kerala Assembly elections from Kuthuparambu in Kannur district in 2016 and 2021, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally campaigning for him during the 2016 polls.
Sadanandan’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha had triggered some political murmurs, with a few parties including Congress and communists voicing opposition. However, no such resistance was evident during the oath-taking ceremony in the House, which went off smoothly and without protest.
Alongside Sadanandan master, the other newly nominated members bring distinguished credentials. Meenakshi Jain is a renowned historian known for her work on Indian civilisation and cultural identity, while Harsh Vardhan Shringla has served as India’s Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to the United States. Ujjwal Nikam, a high-profile public prosecutor from Maharashtra, was also among the four recent Presidential nominations, though he did not take oath on Monday.
As part of the day’s proceedings, the Rajya Sabha also paid homage to several former members who had passed away recently. Obituary references were made for C Perumal, K Kasturirangan, Ronald Sapa Tlau, Nepaldev Bhattacharjee, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Thennala G Balakrishna Pillai, and Vijaykumar Rupani.
With the Monsoon Session now underway, the presence of newly sworn-in members like Sadanandan Master is expected to add depth and new voices to legislative debates, particularly on matters of social justice, education, and political reconciliation.
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