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V S Achuthanandan, the lone flame of integrity that refused to be extinguished
V S Achuthanandan, the lone flame of integrity that refused to be extinguished

Time of India

time12 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Time of India

V S Achuthanandan, the lone flame of integrity that refused to be extinguished

He was no grand ideologue like EMS Namboodiripad nor the beloved mass leader that A K Gopalan was. He couldn't set crowds alight with homespun humour like E K Nayanar. Yet, one could well argue whether even these iconic communist leaders commanded the universal love and reverence that V S Achuthanandan eventually did, not just within his party, but far beyond its ideological fold. The most poetic twist in his story is perhaps this: The cult-hero status he attained came not in the fervent prime of his life, but in its twilight. Critics once dismissed him as a sectarian Stalinist, gauche and rigid. But history had other plans. VS was unique in another, profoundly symbolic way. For a movement that long championed the cause of the oppressed, it took over half a century after Independence to produce a chief minister who was a true working-class hero from an oppressed caste. That it was Achuthanandan who broke this 'glass ceiling' made his ascent more remarkable in a movement, once derisively referred to as led by 'Brahminical communists'. His political baptism was in the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising — still etched in the communist imagination as a moment of revolutionary martyrdom. A legislator from the early 1960s, CPM's state secretary through the turbulent 1980s, politburo member from 1985 and opposition leader twice — his career was long, but not luminous for most of that time. The turning point came in his 70s — an age by which most political careers dim, even in India's gerontocratic corridors of power. What made him a people's hero wasn't charisma or oratory skills, but his moral clarity and unyielding integrity. At a time when values like accountability and probity seemed to be vanishing from public life, VS stood out as a lone warrior. He fought relentlessly — often against his own party — for justice, be it in matters of corruption, environmental degradation, atrocities against women or global trade injustices. He was among the first in Indian politics to seamlessly blend the global and the local, the macro and the micro. People watched in wonder as the ageing comrade climbed hills, walked in rain, and stood firm in protest, while others in power lounged in comfort. When his party faltered, he carried forward struggles into the courts and onto the streets, often forcing action against the mighty. Not just his comrades but even outsiders rose in protest when his party leadership tried to humiliate him. He was not untouched by power struggles, nor were his motives always altruistic. But few could dispute the moral force he embodied. Even when outmaneuvered by his rivals, he remained, in the eyes of many, the conscience of Kerala's Left — a lone flame that refused to be extinguished. For many, his lingering final years in a coma became a haunting reflection of the values he had so steadfastly defended — now abandoned, forgotten and left to fade in a world that had moved on.

V S Achuthanandan: A legacy of reinventing Left Politics in Kerala
V S Achuthanandan: A legacy of reinventing Left Politics in Kerala

Time of India

time12 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Time of India

V S Achuthanandan: A legacy of reinventing Left Politics in Kerala

How will history remember V S Achuthanandan, a lifelong communist whose legacy refuses to be confined to a single frame? Having been closely associated with him for decades, I believe he should be remembered not just as one of the founding members of CPM or as a popular leader who rose to the position of chief minister despite facing significant challenges from his own party. More importantly, he was someone who championed a new kind of Left politics in the era of economic liberalisation and proved that an alternative politics, rooted in people's issues, was not only necessary but entirely possible. VS recognised early on that the communist party had to evolve to stay relevant. His politics became an amalgam of concerns such as feminism, environmentalism, land rights and equity. Despite being a prominent leader, VS didn't become a mass figure like EMS Nambudiripad and A K Gopalan until the late 1990s. His life can be divided into distinct stages, each shaped by the turbulence of his political career. Before Kerala was formed in 1956, when communist party was banned, VS was an underground activist. He took part in the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising, Kerala's only armed struggle by communist party, courted arrest and endured torture. These early struggles were common to the generation that laid the foundation of the communist party in the state. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo After the first communist govt came into being in 1957 and the split that led to CPM's formation in 1964, VS donned key leadership roles. Until 1996, he remained a disciplined, uncompromising organisational man. His political style was radical, often militant, which is why he chose to associate with CPM while numerous leaders stayed with CPI, seen back then more as a centrist organisation. VS's legacy can be compared to that of P Krishna Pillai. Like Pillai, VS stood apart — a lone tusker, as we often said. EMS was a tall leader, under whose shadow many leaders preferred to stay but VS was distinct. What I have observed is that at each of the party meetings involving EMS and VS, they always sat in opposite positions and never near each other. It was perhaps due to their own distinct opinions on issues. In 1996, the state committee selected VS as the CM candidate, which was approved by the central leadership. But he lost from Mararikkulam, a result many of us believe was engineered by sections within the party. Despite the setback, the turning point in VS's public image had artraveller rived. The man who had operated within the party's rigid structures began to reinvent himself. He started addressing people's issues — women's rights, environmental degradation and agrarian distress — with new intensity. His campaign to preserve Kerala's paddy fields — protesting the shift to cash crops like coconut — was visionary. Looking back, many of his warnings have proved accurate. But this transformation earned him the label of a 'revisionist' within the party. As opposition leader after the 2001 defeat, VS delivered a performance unparalleled in modern Kerala politics. He brought critical issues to the assembly — rape cases, land encroachments, environmental destruction — and toured the state relentlessly, rain or shine. For many environmental activists, he became the final hope, someone who would listen, take notes and act. VS also mastered the new media landscape. He became a favourite of the press, regularly engaging with television journalists and presenting his version of a rejuvenated Left agenda. His popularity soared. In 2006, as chief minister, VS stayed true to his convictions. From removing encroachments on MG Road in Kochi to taking on illegal plantations in Munnar — even when it meant challenging CPI offices — he never backed down. His boldness stood in sharp contrast to then state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, who increasingly aligned with corporate interests. Though he withdrew from public life due to age-related ailments, VS's influence remained. The continued resistance to projects like K-Rail can be traced back to his groundwork. As chief minister, he ensured that public support remained at the heart of governance, making him one of Kerala's most loved leaders. The chant 'Kanne Karale VS-ey' was more than a slogan — it was a people's tribute. But there was disillusionment too. Between 2011 and 2016, VS contemplated leaving the party several times. He was deeply troubled by what he saw as rightward shifts under Vijayan. 'The party is moving away from its communist roots,' he would say. Although age stopped him from forming a new party, the idea of an alternative Left never left him. VS's life is not just the story of a political leader but of a relentless fighter who kept reinventing himself to stay true to the people. He stood firm when the party faltered, listened when others silenced and led when leadership mattered most.

VS Achuthanandan, former Kerala CM and veteran communist leader, dies at 101
VS Achuthanandan, former Kerala CM and veteran communist leader, dies at 101

Scroll.in

timea day ago

  • Politics
  • Scroll.in

VS Achuthanandan, former Kerala CM and veteran communist leader, dies at 101

VS Achuthanandan, former Kerala chief minister and veteran communist leader, died in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. He was 101. The former chief minister had withdrawn from public life after suffering a minor stroke in 2019, The Hindu reported. He had since been living with his son, V Arun Kumar, at his home in the state capital. Achuthanandan was admitted to a hospital after a cardiac arrest in June, The Indian Express reported. He had been on a life support system since then. The communist leader was born into a family of agricultural workers at Punnapra village in Alappuzha district in 1923. He lost his mother at the age of four and his father at 11. At an early age, Achuthanandan developed an interest in politics and joined the Travancore State Congress, The Indian Express reported. He became a member of the undivided Communist Party of India after he turned 17. In 1940, Achuthanandan joined a coir factory in Alappuzha and was urged by Communist leader Comrade P Krishna Pillai to bring the workers closer to the movement and ask them to fight for their rights. The communist leader was also actively involved in a militant agitation against the colonial rule in 1946, which culminated in the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising, The Hindu reported. In 1954, Achuthanandan became a member of the Communist Party of India state committee and was promoted to the state secretariat three years later. However, Achuthanandan was one among the 32 leaders of the undivided Communist Party of India to walk out and form the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 1964 after a prolonged inner-party struggle over political strategy. In 1965, the communist leader started his legislative career during the Assembly elections, contesting from the Ambalapuzha seat, but did not win. He won from the same seat in 1967 and 1970. Achuthanandan was also arrested for 21 months during the Emergency. The communist leader was elected as state secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 1980 and held the post for 12 years. He was the convener of the Left Democratic Front from 1996 to 2000. He served as the chief minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011.

V.S. Achuthanandan, former Kerala CM and icon of communist movement, passes away
V.S. Achuthanandan, former Kerala CM and icon of communist movement, passes away

The Hindu

timea day ago

  • Politics
  • The Hindu

V.S. Achuthanandan, former Kerala CM and icon of communist movement, passes away

Former Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan passed away at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday (July 21, 2025). He was 101. He was Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011. Mr. Achuthanandan had withdrawn from public life after he suffered a minor stroke in 2019. He had since led an assisted life at his son, V. Arun Kumar's, residence in Thiruvananthapuram. The veteran communist and freedom fighter was an iron-jawed icon of the communist movement in Kerala and a towering, if not fiery, presence in State politics for decades. As a crusading Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Achuthanandan was a standard-bearer for underdogs and uphill public causes, including environmental protection, gender equality, wetland conservation, better pay for nurses, transgender rights, and free software. Mr. Achuthanandan began his political odyssey at the age of 16 by joining the popular opposition against the feudal landlords and colonial rule in Alappuzha. He cut his teeth as an activist and agitator by organising indentured agriculture labourers and Aspinwall factory workers in Kuttanad. Mr. Achuthanandan was actively involved in the militant Left agitation against the colonial government in 1946, which culminated in the storied and tragic Punnapra-Vayalar uprising. He went underground but was arrested and tortured in police custody. Mr. Achuthanandan later recollected that the police beat him and pierced his underfoot with a rifle bayonet. He said the police left him for dead and would have ended in an anonymous grave if not for a fellow prisoner who spotted signs of life. Early life Born into a family of agricultural workers in Punnapra, Alappuzha, in 1923, Mr. Achuthanandan faced numerous trials and tribulations, including the daily deprivations of poverty alongside distressing personal and political struggles. Mr. Achuthanandan lost his parents early, his mother to smallpox, and was initiated into the freedom movement at 16 by the pioneering communist leader P. Krishna Pillai. He would later term Krishna Pillai as a 'guru' who gave him a clear political purpose and direction in life. Mr. Achuthanandan often joked that he would immerse himself in a temple pond until the only set of clothes he owned dried on the steps. The temple priest fed him leftovers of puja rice, and he briefly apprenticed as a tailor. In 1964, Mr. Achuthanandan left the national council of the undivided Communist Party of India to become one of the founding members of the breakaway Communist Party of India (Marxist). Later, during the Emergency, the government jailed him. A rebel Mr. Achuthanandan had officiated as CPI(M) State secretary. But he was not always a stickler for iron-clad party discipline as Chief Minister. In 2009, the CPI(M) expelled him from the party's Polit Bureau for defying the CPI(M) State secretariat. In 2012, as Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Achuthanandan defied the party's diktat. He called on the wife of slain CPI(M) dissident and Revolutionary Marxist Party leader T. P. Chandrasekharan, K. K. Rema. The Congress party weaponised the visit to assail the CPI(M), which it blamed for the killing. Mr. Achuthanandan was a dogmatic communist who rarely retreated from ideological moorings. However, his critics have blamed Mr. Achuthanandan for allegedly being out of tune with the harsh realities of neoliberalism, accusing party colleagues of right-wing deviation and 'abetting factionalism.' A magnet for crowds As an orator, Mr. Achuthanandan's speech was distinctive, characterised by a rustic drawl, bristling with biting sarcasm and hard-hitting humour. He was a magnet for crowds and a staple of political satirists. On his 100th birthday, CPI(M) leader and dramatist Pirappancode Murali, a former MLA, sought to place Mr. Achuthanandan in a Left-historical context. 'Mr. Achuthanandan is the last of the communists active in politics during the life and times of Stalin, Mao, Ho Chi Minh, Che Guevara, and much beyond,' he said. Candid about faith As a rationalist and atheist, Mr. Achuthanandan's take on faith was remarkably candid. When he was Chief Minister during the 2006-11 period, a school student playfully queried Mr. Achuthanandan about his favourite Hindu god. 'Like all of us, the tales of gods absorb me. But, like everybody else, I wonder whether they exist and, if so, which plane they inhabit,' he replied. Mr. Achuthanandan's wife, K. Vasumathy, and their two children, daughter V.V. Asha and son V. A. Arun Kumar, and grandchildren survive him.

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