Comrade VS: The Staunch Communist Who Rose From Working Class To Lead Kerala

NDTV

4 days ago

Thiruvananthapuram:
V S Achuthanandan, a staunch Marxist known for his sharp rhetoric, anti-corruption stance, and unwavering commitment to social justice, was India's first communist leader from a working-class background to rise to the office of Chief Minister.
A founding figure in the Communist Party of India (Marxist) after the 1964 split in the undivided Communist Party, Achuthanandan's life in Kerala was defined by unrelenting struggle -- against the entrenched injustices of a caste and class-bound society, and against the creeping revisionism he saw within his own party. He died at the age of 101 on Monday.
Whereas his peers--E M S Namboodiripad, Jyoti Basu and E K Nayanar -- came from privileged, upper-caste families and were drawn to communism by its intellectual promise, Achuthanandan lived the inequality they fought.
Achuthanandan, affectionately known as Comrade 'VS' by party colleagues and even political opponents, led a life so eventful that he was once presumed dead and prepared for burial after being assaulted by police during a pre-Independence struggle for workers' rights -- only to survive, defy his attackers, and rise to become one of Kerala's most towering political figures.
On Monday, Achuthanandan died at a private hospital here.
For over eight decades, he remained firmly on the side of workers, farmers and the poor-- his politics shaped by the fires of anti-colonial resistance, class struggle and the complicated, often turbulent path of the Indian Left.
Born on October 20, 1923 at Punnapra village in Alappuzha district, and educated up to Class VII, Achuthanandan's political awakening began early.
He entered public life through trade union activism and joined the State Congress in 1939, before embracing Marxism a year later by becoming a member of the Communist Party.
His political career was not without its cost. During the British rule and the turbulent post-Independence years, he endured five and a half years in prison and spent four and a half years underground to evade arrest.
In 1964, he was one of the 32 prominent leaders who broke away from the Communist Party of India (CPI) to form the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), following an ideological rift. His role in this defining moment remains a cornerstone of the CPI(M)'s identity in Kerala.
Achuthanandan served as the secretary of the CPI(M)'s Kerala State Committee from 1980 to 1992, helping to shape the party's strategy and mass base.
He was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly four times - in 1967, 1970, 1991, and 2001 - and twice served as the Leader of the Opposition, first from 1992 to 1996, and again from 2001 until 2005.
Despite setbacks, including intra-party disputes that defeated him in 1996 Assembly polls in his home turf Mararikulam which kept him from the chief minister's seat, VS remained a beloved and uncompromising leader of the Left.
Achuthanandan's journey, starting as a helper in a tailoring shop, transformed into a string of relentless battles, both within and outside his party, championing people's causes until he rose to the position of chief minister in the state in 2006.
As opposition leader, he led a strong campaign against land grabs and the real estate lobby, winning support from people across social and political backgrounds.
A fierce organiser within the CPI(M), Achuthanandan was never afraid of a fight -- not just with political opponents, but often with rivals inside his own party. Notable among them is politburo member and present CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
In the 1996 Kerala assembly elections, although the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) won, Achuthanandan lost in Mararikulam, a shock defeat in a constituency long seen as his stronghold. The loss was widely blamed on behind-the-scenes moves by his rivals within the Marxist party.
Many political observers at the time wrote him off, saying his role in the party and in Kerala politics had come to an end, only to be proved wrong. He fought his way back, rebuilt his position within the party, and returned stronger and more popular than ever.
Achuthanandan's deep popularity among the public often placed his party in a difficult position. Despite opposition from the powerful Kannur lobby in the party, led by Vijayan, the CPI(M) was compelled to field him in the 2006 and 2011 assembly elections, thanks to strong grassroots support.
He went on to lead the LDF government from 2006 to 2011, even as some within his own party continued efforts to sideline him. His time in office was marked by a tough stance on corruption, a push for transparency, and a focus on welfare schemes aimed at helping ordinary people.
In the 2016 assembly elections, the CPI(M) once again turned to Achuthanandan, presenting him as the face of its campaign. Despite his age, he travelled across the state with energy, delivering fiery speeches in his trademark style and rallying support for the Left.
The veteran was also known for his colloquial style of speaking and witty political statements. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi got a taste of VS' wit when the Communist veteran called him "Amul Baby".
When Rahul remarked about his advancing age, Achuthanandan hit back at the then Congress General Secretary saying, "Everyone knows Rahul Gandhi is an Amul Baby, and he has fielded Amul Babies in some constituencies. His comments are meant only for infants, leaving the Congress leadership across India stunned.