Kerala's veteran communist leader V S Achuthanandan dies at 101

V S Achuthanandan, former Kerala CM and senior CPI(M) leader, passed away in Thiruvananthapuram at 101. Known for his commitment to social justice, he left a lasting impact on Kerala politics

Former Kerala chief minister and veteran CPI (M) leader Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan passed away in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday due to prolonged illness. He was 101.

 

Achuthanandan was admitted to SUT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram for more than a month. His body will be taken to Alappuzha on Tuesday, and the funeral will be held at Valiya Chudukadu burial ground on Wednesday.

 

He is survived by his wife, K Vasumathy, and their two children, daughter V V Asha and son V A Arun Kumar.

 

Achuthanandan, who was popularly known by his initials VS, was one of the last founding members of the party, and the state's chief minister from 2006 to 2011.

 

 

He was part of the CPM Politburo from 1985 to 2009, and was in the party’s central committee after that. Achuthanandan is also credited to be the longest-serving leader of opposition in the history of the Kerala assembly, being in the position for around 15 years. He was elected to the Kerala assembly for seven terms. 

 

Achuthanandan was born into a family of agricultural workers in Punnapra, Alappuzha, in 1923. He spearheaded various struggles in Kerala for the last eight decades- starting from organising coir factory workers, toddy tappers, and agricultural labourers in his initial years. His first brush with the trade union movement was when he organised the coir workers at the Aspinwall Company, where he had started working.

 

He joined the Communist Party in 1940 at the age of 17, after beginning his political journey through trade union activities and the State Congress in 1939. He was instrumental in founding the Travancore Karshaka Thozhilali Union, which later became the Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union.

 

Achuthanandan also played a crucial role in uplifting agricultural workers in Kuttanad, who were subjected to terrible exploitation by landlords. During the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising against the Diwan of Travancore, he was arrested and subjected to severe custodial torture.

 

“As a public speaker, VS had mastered the art of communicating directly with the audience. Known for his austere lifestyle and unwavering commitment to social justice, Achuthanandan has left an indelible mark on Kerala politics. In his death, the party and the communist movement have suffered a grievous loss,” CPM said in a statement. 

 

He was promoted to the state committee of the united Communist Party in 1956, and to its national council in 1958. He was the last of the surviving 32 members of the national council of the united Communist Party, who left to form the CPM. He was also the state secretary of the CPM between 1980 and 1991.

 

He was admired across party lines for the role he played as the leader of the opposition between 2001 and 2006, taking a tough stance against corruption, taking up public interest issues, and voicing government atrocities, including the Muthanga police firing on the adivasis. Gaining on this popularity, he led the Left Democratic Front to victory in 2006, and was close to clinching a second term, losing by a marginal one seat in 2011.