VS Achuthanandan (1923-2025): The Relentless Rebel

THE HUGE TURN­OUT on the roads from Thiruvanan­thapuram to Alappuzha to catch a last glimpse of former state chief minis­ter VS Achuthanandan was a testament to his crowd-pulling abilities and enduring influence across political lines. It was his fi­nal roadshow before he was cremated in his hometown, Alappuzha, on July 23. The turnout was unexpect­edly massive, as television channels live-streamed the funeral procession of the 101-year-old CPM leader, a lifelong rebel who took up causes that resonated with the common man and right-thinking citizens alike.

Achuthanandan, born in 1923, had been active in politics since his teens and remained so until about a decade ago. He was a relent­less rebel who, even while serving as chief minister, defied the diktats of his own party, let alone his political opponents.

As a boy who lost both parents in early childhood, he dropped out of school and took up odd jobs before becoming involved in work­ers’ struggles. He was soon co-opted into the commu­nist movement by leaders impressed by his organisa­tional skills.

VS, as he was widely known, rose rapidly within the undivided Communist Party, showing the determi­nation and courage to lead from the front. As Kerala secretary of CPM from 1980 to 1992, he guided the party through challenging times and helped it expand both organisationally and electorally.

His work, which had been underappreciated during his early decades in politics, began receiving wider recognition in his later years. As he entered his 80s and continued to ad­vocate for pro-people poli­cies, his appeal transcended party lines.

A natural fighter against injustice, he was known for never backing down. One of the most notable tributes to VS came from senior RSS leader K Rajasekharan, who said: “VS was the flag bearer of an entity that steered the most compre­hensive transformation in Kerala’s socio-cultural and political spheres, shining like a bright star. Known by his two-letter initials, VS was, in fact, one of the greatest reformers of the state who stood by the poor and the oppressed.”

Elevated to senior and crucial positions at the age of 30, VS had worked shoulder to shoulder with titans of the Indian communist movement. His political journey was marked by highs and lows, but he fought his battles, with both comrades and adversaries, with unwav­ering ferocity, surviving the rough-and-tumble of Kerala’s politics like a seasoned pro.

VS gained popularity even as his faction within CPM lost ground to the camp of Kerala Chief Minis­ter Pinarayi Vijayan. Surpris­ingly, for a man who once drew negative headlines, he became a media and public darling in the twilight of his life.

Soon, he came to be revered as one of the last of the originals, those who stood by the people, even as his own party was unsure how to handle his popular­ity. Before he passed away on July 21, he was the last surviving member among the 32 who walked out of the CPI National Council in 1964 to form the CPM.

In death, VS was mourned like no other. Crowds, especially women and children, thronged the streets, many in tears as though they had been orphaned. To say it was the end of an era may often seem a cliché when a leader passes, but in the case of VS, it was simply the truth.

(Also Read: The reluctant iconoclast of Indian communism)

CPM leaderdeathKeralaobituaryVS Achuthanandan