Sudama Prasad’s lifelong struggle for social justice began at a young age, witnessing firsthand the feudal and police atrocities prevalent in his community. He was falsely accused in a murder case but was later acquitted by the Supreme Court. Despite the hardships he faced, Prasad pursued his education at Har Prasad Das Jain School and Jain College in Ara. However, he left his studies midway to become a full-time worker for the CPI-ML, dedicating himself to cultural activism through plays and performances.
Prasad’s electoral journey began in 1990 when he unsuccessfully contested the Bihar Assembly election from the Ara seat under the IPF banner. He also contested the 2009 Lok Sabha election from Buxar but lost to the Rashtriya Janata Dal candidate. His electoral breakthrough came in 2015 when he won the Tarari Assembly seat, which he retained in the 2020 Assembly election.
Beyond electoral politics, Prasad has been instrumental in safeguarding Bihar’s cultural heritage. As the chairperson of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha Library Committee in 2022, he presented a report on the condition of libraries in the state for the first time in its legislative history. He played a crucial role in protecting the historic 130-year-old Khuda Bakhsh Library in Patna and rediscovering 439 closed public libraries, advocating for their accessibility to underprivileged communities.
Prasad’s grassroots activism extends to leading the paddy procurement movement and spearheading several agitations in Bihar, including the Bhojpur Jagao-Bhojpur Bachao movement of 1989. He has been jailed twice for his involvement in protests against police repression and has spent a total of one year and eight months in prison.
Prasad’s personal life reflects his commitment to social reform. He married Shobha Mandal, a Dalit woman, in 1993, challenging caste barriers. They have two sons, Abhinav and Anubhav Prasad.
As the first CPI-ML MP in 35 years, Prasad is determined to raise the concerns of his constituency in Parliament. His victory is a testament to the power of grassroots activism and the people’s desire for social justice and change.
