VS Achuthanandan, former Kerala CM and Veteran CPI (M) leader, passes away

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

V.S. Achuthanandan, the veteran Communist leader, former Kerala Chief Minister, and towering figure in Left politics, passed away on Monday at the age of 101 in Thiruvananthapuram. A founding member of the CPI (M) and revered across party lines as “Comrade VS,” he had withdrawn from public life in 2019 after a stroke and had been on life support since a cardiac arrest last month.

Born in 1923 in Alappuzha’s Punnapra village, VS was orphaned at an early age and began working in a coir factory by his teens. He joined the Communist Party at 17, actively organising toddy tappers, fishermen, and coir workers. His political roots were shaped by the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising and his underground resistance against Travancore’s Diwan C.P. Ramaswami Iyer.

VS was among the 32 national council members who walked out of the CPI in 1964 to form the Communist Party of India (Marxist), alongside legends like EMS Namboodiripad and Jyoti Basu. Over a career spanning eight decades, he served as Kerala’s CM (2006–2011) and Leader of Opposition in three terms, besides holding key roles like CPI(M) state secretary and LDF convener.

Though sidelined within the party due to long-standing rivalry with Pinarayi Vijayan, VS remained a darling of the masses, known for his anti-corruption crusades, environmental advocacy, and strong civil society connect. He championed causes from land reforms to public health and often stood at the frontline of agitations.

As a legislator from Malampuzha (2001–2021), he remained active till illness forced his retirement. Despite political turbulence, VS leaves behind an unmatched legacy of integrity, courage, and uncompromising principles—a true people's leader who remained a rebel with a cause till the end.