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Time of India
23-07-2025
- Politics
- 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.
Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Slow and steady on final journey, VS Achuthanandan's 150-km funeral procession sees massive crowds lining streets in Kerala
Kerala has a history of momentous funeral processions for former chief ministers, and V S Achuthanandan's carried forward that tradition. The fiery Communist leader died in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday at the age of 101. On Tuesday, his funeral procession from the state capital to his home district of Alappuzha saw an outpouring of emotion by people who thronged the streets to witness it. With crowds lining up on both sides of the road, the low-floor bus carrying his body, decorated with flowers, moved slowly along. The procession began from the state Secretariat at around 2.30 am, and was scheduled to arrive in Alappuzha by 9 pm. However, by that time, it had only reached Mangalapuram — about 22 km from the starting point. It took over six hours for the procession to cross the city limits of Thiruvananthapuram. The destination was more than 150 km to the north. At Kayamkulam, the land of Kerala People's Arts Club (KPAC) — a theatrical movement that helped popularise the Communist ideology in the state — people eagerly waited for the cortege from late evening. Viswanathan, an 80-year-old member of the CPI, said, 'VS always stood for the people. That is why we are seeing this outpouring of emotion. He was arrested during the Emergency. He had strong connections to Kayamkulam. If I remember correctly, for a brief time, he went underground and took shelter in Kayamkulam.' 'VS was a crowd puller. I attended several election rallies where he would come and people would turn up from faraway places to just hear him talk,' Viswanathan recalled. Johnson, 50, a Gospel preacher, came from Adoor, 30 km away. He said he has no political affiliation, but he respected Achuthanandan for his 'compassion and humanity'. 'He never took the side of the wealthy and powerful, but always argued for the causes of the marginalised. Such politicians are rare these days. We may never see another VS amongst us,' said Johnson. For Kalesh, a CPI leader and KPAC office-bearer in his 30s, Achuthanadan was the inspiration to enter politics. 'He was a fighter for the causes of farmers and the downtrodden. He was a leader of the masses, and he was also an able administrator. The first agitation I participated in was when I was in Class 9, during a strike for the rights of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) employees. The principles that VS espoused invoked the sense of justice in a generation like us and prompted us to fight for the people around us,' he said. Sashi Kumar from Vaikom, who suffers from physical disabilities, arrived at the KPAC junction in Kayamkulam on a scooter fitted with a photo of Achuthanandan. 'There were three people I admired the most: Kalabhavan Mani (the Malayalam actor), Oommen Chandy and VS. Now, all three have gone,' he said. It took the persuasion from local party workers for him to abandon plans to go all the way to Thiruvananthapuram. Instead, he waited at the makeshift venue where people were slowly beginning to gather ahead of the procession's arrival. Among them was Arunima, a class 6 student who had come with her father. She did not know who Achuthanadan was until Monday afternoon. The relentless coverage of his death on TV channels made the girl an admirer of the man, and she was now chanting the slogan: 'kanne karale VS (VS, you are our eye, our heart).' She said she would return home only after paying tribute to him. That sentiment was shared by everyone present, as they checked the YouTube feeds of news channels for updates on the progress of the procession from Thiruvananthapuram. Once Achuthanandan's body reaches Alappuzha, it will be taken to his house in Punnapra. On Wednesday afternoon, the body will be taken to the Valiyachudukadu burial ground, the resting place of hundreds of martyrs of the 1946 Punnapra-Vayalar uprising against landlords and the colonial regime, and he will be cremated with state honours.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘Thilakan' life story: Saved by Nehru, clashed with stars, lost National Award to Amitabh
The late, legendary Malayalam actor was a powerhouse of talent, celebrated for his intense performances and fearless integrity within the film industry. But did you know his life took a remarkable turn during his army days, where Prime Minister himself intervened to save him from a potential leg amputation? This extraordinary incident set the stage for a career marked by both unparalleled acting prowess and controversial clashes with leading stars, even leading to him reportedly losing a National Award to due to alleged lobbying. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Delve into the incredible life story of a true cinematic icon. About Thilakan's life story Veteran Malayalam actor Thilakan who was born in the village of Ayiroor near Thiruvalla, Kerala, had a life filled with dramatic turns, even before he entered cinema. During his college days at SN College in Kollam, he was deeply involved in theatre and acted in classic plays like Julius Caesar. Before entering into the film industry, Thilakan had a brief stint in the . However, during his service, he suffered from a serious illness, which led the camp doctors to consider amputating his leg. In a rare and remarkable incident, Thilakan got the chance to speak to then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was visiting the camp. When Thilakan shared his situation, Nehru immediately issued orders that no amputation should be carried out without the consent of the soldier. This decision saved Thilakan's leg and, in many ways, his acting career. He returned home and went back to what he loved the most and that was theatre. Once back in Kerala, Thilakan resumed his work in drama troupes, joining famous groups like KPAC and Kalidasa and even co-founding his own drama company called Mundakayam Nataka Samithy. Thilakan's powerful acting caught the attention of both filmmakers and audiences, and he gave outstanding performances in many critically acclaimed movies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now And despite his talent, Thilakan often got sidelined in the Malayalam film industry's power structures. He was vocal against the dominance of superstar culture, particularly when it came to big names like and and he used to believe in talent over popularity and wasn't afraid to speak out when he felt sidelined due to industry politics. These confrontations often led to him being unofficially banned or avoided by some production houses, but he remained respected by fans and many within the artistic community. Thilakan's most controversial moment One of the most controversial moments in his career was related to the National Film Awards. In 1991, his performance in 'Perumthachan' was widely expected to win him the National Award for Best Actor. However, the award was given to Amitabh Bachchan for 'Agneepath'. In a later interview in 2008, Thilakan claimed that he lost the award due to political lobbying by a senior Congress leader who supported Amitabh Bachchan, as the actor was planning to enter politics with the party and this statement added fuel to discussions about the influence of politics on film awards in India. Thilakan left behind a strong legacy as one of the finest actors in and he was also known for his fearless nature in speaking up against injustice.
