Tuesday, July 22, 2025

VS Achuthanandan, veteran Indian communist leader and former Kerala Chief Minister, dies

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on the death of Comrade VS Achuthanandan - also known with the initials VS - in Thiruvananthapuram today at 3:20 pm, after prolonged illness:

Homage to Comrade V. S. Achuthanandan

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its profound grief at the death of V. S. Achuthanandan, an outstanding leader and veteran of the communist movement. V. S. Achuthanandan was a former member of the Polit Bureau. He was 101 years old.

Fondly called VS, Achuthanandan was an able organiser who spearheaded various struggles in Kerala. His first brush with the trade union movement was when he organised the coir workers at the Aspinwal Company where he had started working.

In 1940, when he was just seventeen years old, VS joined the Communist Party. Krishna Pillai assigned him work among agricultural workers in Kuttanad who were subjected to terrible exploitation by landlords. During the Punnapra – Vayalar uprising against the Diwan of Travancore, VS had to go underground. After being arrested, he was subjected to severe custodial torture.

VS was elected to the State Committee of the united Communist Party in 1956 and to its National Council in 1958. He was the last of the surviving 32 members of the National Council who left to form the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He served as the Secretary of the Kerala State Committee of the CPI(M) from 1980 to 1991. He was elected to the Central Committee of the Party in 1964 and became a member of the Polit Bureau in 1985. He was relieved from the Central Committee, of which he had become a Special Invitee, due to age, in 2022.

VS was elected to the Kerala assembly for seven terms. He served as Leader of Opposition for two terms and was the Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011. His tenure as Chief Minister was marked by several legislative and administrative measures for the welfare of the working people.

During his eight and a half decade long association with the Party, VS witnessed the steady growth of communist movement in Kerala. As a public speaker VS had mastered the art to communicate directly with the audience. Known for his austere lifestyle and unwavering commitment to social justice, V. S. Achuthanandan has left an indelible mark on Kerala politics. In his death, the Party and the communist movement have suffered a grievous loss.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) dips its red banner in salute to V. S. Achuthanandan. It conveys its heartfelt condolences to his wife, son and daughter.

cpim.org