VS Achuthanandan: A legendary Communist who dominated Kerala's dynamic politics
VS was born to a poor family on October 20, 1923, and lost his mother when he was four and father when he was 11. After completing the seventh standard in school, he started working in his brother's tailoring shop. Later, he worked in a coir factory, where he organised workers and joined the communist movement. His organising skills and fighting spirit made him dear to both Left leaders and workers. He joined the CPI in 1940, and led the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising against the Travancore state police in 1946.Achuthanandan was elected to the CPI(M) politburo in 1985. He contested the Kerala assembly elections 10 times, between 1965 and 2016, and won on seven occasions. Though he supported Pinarayi Vijayan for the post of state secretary in 1998, the two fell apart in 2000.When Achuthanandan took a firm position against party directives on issues concerning the people, internal rifts widened, leading to a clash between him and Vijayan. In 2009, Achuthanandan was removed as member of the CPI(M) politburo for 'indiscipline'. While his party was seen as deviating from its ideological stand, he remained a true communist.K.V. Sudhakaran, who served as Achuthanandan's press secretary, calls him a green evangelist with youthful vigour. 'I started working with him when he was 90,' Sudhakaran said. 'He had great discipline for that age. He woke up every day at 5 and practised yoga. He read almost all newspapers before he went to office and prepared notes on major issues. He learnt Hindi at the age of 90 and started addressing politburo meetings in the language. Nothing would stop him once he decided to fight.'During the 2016 assembly poll campaign, INDIA TODAY had captured VS practising yoga at 5 am at the Mananthavady forest guesthouse in Wayanad district after a 12-hour-long poll campaign the previous day.advertisementVS was a true Communist of his making—an Indian Che Guevara. 'He will be missed dearly,' said the Congress's V.D. Satheesan, the current leader of the Opposition.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- Ends
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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Leader of the masses comes home one last time
Kottayam: The final journey of V S Achuthanandan reached his birthplace, Punnapra, Alappuzha, on Wednesday — a return to the land where his political life first took root, where he organized historic struggles for working class communties and where he emerged as one of the leaders of the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising. His mortal remains arrived at the Velikkakath House around 12.15 noon, more than 22 hours after leaving the state capital and well past the initially scheduled arrival time of 10pm on Tuesday. Ministers Saji Cherian and P Prasad received the funeral procession upon its arrival. Despite steady rain, thousands of mourners gathered from early morning to pay their final respects to the departed leader. Long queues formed outside the house from 6am as people from across the state waited patiently. The mortal remains were first taken inside for relatives to pay homage before being brought out for public viewing. A Suresh, former personal assistant to V S, recalled how the veteran leader made it a point to visit this house twice every year. "He never missed being here for Onam, when he had the traditional sadhya and for the Punnapra-Vayalar anniversary in Oct," Suresh said. "Once here, V S would transform into a karanavar — the family patriarch. A lot of visitors used to flock in, including neighbours, old friends and relatives. " The house, he added, is more than a family home — it stands as a symbol and memorial of the Punnapra-Vayalar struggle. V S last visited in 2019 before failing health halted his travels. Earlier in the day, the funeral procession entered Alappuzha district after 7am. Along the way, hundreds of people — men, women, and children — lined the roadsides to pay tribute. The route passed through historically significant locations, evoking memories of a glorious past tied to the departed leader. Around 7.15am, it passed by in front of the KPAC headquarters in Kayamkulam — the iconic theatre movement that staged the play Ningal Enne Communist Aakki (You Made Me a Communist), a milestone in Kerala's political history. A large crowd had gathered there, cutting across party lines, to honour the departed leader. In Harippad, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala joined the crowd paying homage. The procession continued through Ambalappuzha, where V S first contested elections, with paddy farmers and fisherfolk gathering in large numbers. It also passed the symbolic Thottappally bridge, a symbol of Kuttanad farmers' struggles that V S championed. Among those who paid their respects at the house were ministers R Bindu, K Krishnankutty, Maharashtra governor P Radhakrishnan, N K Premachandran MP, MLAs M V Govindan, H Salam, M S Arun Kumar, Mathew T Thomas, Mohammed Muhasin, P K Kunjalikutty, CPM general secretary M A Baby, senior CPM leader G Sudhakaran, Muslim League leader Panakad Sadikali Shihab Thangal, writer Benyamin, former MP MM Arif, former MLAs C K Sadasivan and K K Shaju. At 2.40pm, the body was placed in a KSRTC bus for the journey to the CPM district committee office.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Hatred for Modi is being projected onto Hindi': Pawan Kalyan on language controversy
Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister and actor Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday addressed the ongoing language controversy and the debate around the 'imposition of Hindi.' Responding to allegations that the Centre is forcing Hindi across states, Kalyan said the current discourse reflects how resentment against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being redirected toward the Hindi language. Stating that English has become his language of thought, the Janasena founder expressed sadness that he could not find the same in Hindi or Kannada or Marathi.(@APDeputyCMO) Speaking to India Today, Kalyan stressed that no language should be forced on anyone, underlining his commitment to unity. 'No language should be imposed on anybody. I stand for national integrity,' he said. He criticised the anti-Hindi stance taken by some political leaders in Telangana, calling it politically motivated. 'It's surprising. I think this is more about the hatred towards BJP or Modiji, and that hatred is being transferred onto Hindi. That's how I see it,' he stated. His comments come amid ongoing tensions in states like Maharashtra and Karnataka, where heated debates have erupted over the use of Hindi and its role as a medium of instruction in schools and colleges. Kalyan, explaining his own experience with the language, noted its practical importance. 'We are surrounded by Hindi-speaking states. Hindi is a necessity for me,' he said. He also criticised how political entities manipulate the issue for their own advantage. 'Sometimes parties or people spark negativity,' he said, suggesting that the language issue is often politicised rather than driven by genuine cultural concerns. Reflecting on his own schooling, he recalled how Hindi was once just a regular part of the curriculum. 'When I was in school, Hindi was just a second language for all of us. I am able to read and write it today because I learned it then,' he noted. Pointing to the diverse linguistic identity of Telugu-speaking regions, he added, 'I don't know why suddenly it became such a big issue, even in Andhra Pradesh which shares borders with Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Karnataka. Telangana itself has a mixed culture — Urdu and Telugu coexist. Instead of saying 'hospital,' people say 'dawakhana'. What's wrong with that?' 'Like English, Hindi has become a practical necessity' Pawan Kalyan argued that Hindi, much like English, has become a practical necessity in today's world. 'No one taught me English by force. It became a necessity. Today we're speaking in English not because we love it, but because it has become essential. Similarly, Hindi is also necessary today,' he explained. Responding to criticism of inconsistency in his stance, Kalyan drew from his personal and professional background, citing his multilingual experience. 'I grew up in Chennai. I love Tamil. I learned it out of interest and necessity — not because anyone forced me. I do the same when I visit Karnataka or Maharashtra. I try to speak Kannada or Marathi. That is the approach we need. A multilingual perspective is important for national linguistic integration,' he said. When asked if he would maintain the same stand in Tamil Nadu, where opposition to Hindi is more pronounced, Kalyan said he already had. 'I have said this before and I will say it again. I love Hindi and respect it — it was my second language in school. Language should be for better communication and integration, not for division,' he said. Referring to Tamil poet Subramania Bharati, he highlighted the poet's example of embracing cultural and linguistic unity: 'Bharati grew up in Kashi. His attire resembled a Sikh turban. He embraced integration in thought, language and attire. There are great people in Tamil Nadu who welcome Hindi.' Kalyan cautioned that forcing any language would only backfire. 'Even a child resists when the mother forces something. You have to create awareness about why learning Hindi is important, not impose it. If you speak to people rationally and logically, you'll get results,' he noted. Earlier, speaking to PTI, Kalyan said, 'Majority of the people think they want to be multilinguistic (multilingual). Let us give them a fair chance and a fair opportunity,' in an interview with PTI Videos. He also shared his personal reflection on language and thought, expressing concern that Hindi and other Indian languages had not become his primary languages for thinking. 'My mother tongue is not Hindi. My mother tongue is not English. Sometimes I feel sad that my thinking language has become English or Telugu. Telugu is a natural way to think, but I could adopt English as a thinking language,' he said. Backing the need for multilingualism in a globalised society, Kalyan added, 'There is nothing wrong in a world where we are interacting with multiculturalism as multilingual skills are needed.' He also urged political leaders to consider the needs of future generations when it comes to language. 'Oncoming generations' must be taken into account, he said, suggesting space should be made for multilingual approaches.
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Linguistic hatred will harm Maharashtra, affect investments: Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan
Amid the ongoing controversy over the Marathi language, Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan advised staying away from spreading 'linguistic hatred', as it would affect the industry and investments in the State. While speaking at the coffee table book launch on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mr. Radhakrishnan on Tuesday (July 22, 2025) said, 'Can I speak in Marathi immediately after being slapped. Such hatred, in the long run, will harm the State.' Mr. Radhakrishnan narrated an incident reflecting on the linguistic hatred and said, 'When I was an MP in Tamil Nadu, I saw a group beating up another over not speaking Tamil. On inquiring, I learnt that the victim was a north Indian and miscreants wanted him to speak Tamil. Mr. Radhkrishnan, reflecting on his own struggle with Hindi, suggested to learn multiple languages while being 'proud of our own'. Minister Girish Mahajan also reiterated his sentiments and said, 'We should be proud of the Marathi language, but to enforce on others, especially violently, is not right.' He also highlighted the Maharashtrians, including those who travel outside Maharashtra. So, we need to have mutual respect across linguistic lines. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray responded to the governor's remarks, saying, no need to make political comments as there is no linguistic hatred in the State.
