Thiruvananthapuram: Former Kerala chief minister and veteran Marxist leader VS Achuthanandan passed away at the age of 101, marking the end of an era in Kerala’s political landscape. He had been under treatment since June 23, following a cardiac arrest.
A long-time leader of the Communist movement in India, Achuthanandan was a founding member of the CPI(M) and a key figure in Left politics, known for his lifelong championing of workers’ rights, land reforms, and social justice.
He was known for his uncompromising anti-corruption politics and governance with the people, he was Kerala’s 11th chief minister between 2006 and 2011 and was elected to the State Assembly seven times, including three terms as Leader of the Opposition.
His illustrious seven-decade-plus political career won him admiration cutting across party lines.
Final farewell on Tuesday
Speaking to reporters at the hospital, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said that after the public homage at the AKG Study and Research Centre, the mortal remains would be taken to Achuthanandan’s residence in the city later in the night.
On Tuesday morning, the body will be kept at the Durbar Hall for the public to pay their respects. Later in the afternoon, the body will be taken to his hometown, Alappuzha. “We should get there by night,” Govindan said, adding that many might turn up along the way to bid a final farewell.
After a brief stop at the party’s district headquarters in Alappuzha, the cremation will take place at the public crematorium at Valiya Chudukadu by Wednesday noon.
Earlier in the day, following reports of his deteriorating health, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) leaders rushed to the hospital.
Thousands of people, including senior citizens, youngsters, women, and students, thronged the busy road in front of the old AKG Centre here to catch a final glimpse of Achuthanandan.
Despite the late hour, the former party headquarters witnessed an unprecedented rush, as ordinary citizens and party workers gathered to pay their last respects when his body was placed there for the first public homage.
Many were visibly emotional, recalling fond memories of the leader. Several could be seen raising their fists in a red salute, a mark of respect to the lifelong Communist.
Police and party leaders faced a tough time managing the huge crowd as thousands waited outside the building for their turn to pay homage.
Comrade Achuthanandan
Political figures from all quarters have poured in tributes to the veteran Communist leader.
In a statement shared on X, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja said with Achuthanandan’s demise at the age of 101, an era in India’s Left and democratic movement comes to a close.
“Comrade Achuthanandan’s political journey, spanning more than eight decades, stands as a testament to unwavering commitment to the ideals of socialism, secularism, and people’s rights,” Raja said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered the leader and their interactions during their chief ministership. “Saddened by the passing of former Kerala CM Shri VS Achuthanandan Ji. He devoted many years of his life to public service and Kerala’s progress. I recall our interactions when we both served as Chief Ministers of our respective states. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this sad hour,” read his X handle.
Rahul Gandhi hailed him as a champion of the poor and the marginalised who upheld the values of principled politics through bold decisions. “A champion of the poor and the marginalised, he upheld the values of principled politics through bold decisions — especially on issues of environmental and public welfare,” the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said ideological differences aside, Achuthanandan’s steadfast commitment to his principles earned him respect as a crusader for democracy. “My deepest condolences on the passing of former Kerala Chief Minister Comrade V S Achuthanandan, who spent decades in public life,” Kharge said in a post on X.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday expressed deep grief over the demise of former Kerala CM and veteran CPI(M) leader V S Achuthanandan. In a post on ‘X’, the Telangana CMO said Reddy recalled that Achuthanandan, who rose through the ranks from labour movements to become a prominent public figure, had rendered invaluable service to Kerala’s progress during his tenure as chief minister.
V S Achuthanandan’s impact on CPI(M)
Marxist veteran V S Achuthanandan was a rebel and corrective force within his own party and never bothered about disciplinary actions.
The contradictory stand that he adopted put the party in a tough position many times, and the murder of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader T P Chandrasekharan was one of such incidents.
Chandrasekharan, a former CPI(M) leader who had quit the party following differences with the leadership, was hacked to death by a gang while he was returning home on his bike at Onchiyam in Kozhikode on May 4, 2012.
The murder was allegedly masterminded by the local leaders of the CPI(M).
Though the party leadership adopted a stand that Chandrasekharan was a “traitor,” Achuthanandan never denounced his former party colleague.
When the party argued that the then UDF government’s move to order a CBI probe into the gruesome murder was a politically motivated one, VS supported the central agency probe and even wrote to the authorities demanding the same.
He even defied the party’s directive not to visit Chandrasekhar’s house and called on his widow K K Rema on the politically significant day of Neyyattinkara bypoll in the same year.
The slain leader’s house had witnessed highly emotional scenes on the day when VS came there.
Overcome with emotion, Rema wept bitterly, clutching Achuthanandan’s folded hands for several seconds. The poignant moment was captured in a photograph that graced the front pages of all major newspapers the following day.
Though Achuthanandan refused to speak to the media at the time, his surprise visit–and the subsequent publication of the photo–served as a political statement and a clear response to his party on the matter.
An emotional Rema, now the UDF-backed Vadakara MLA, shared the same photo on her Facebook page on Monday as a tribute to the leader, accompanied by a heartfelt note.
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