Former Kerala CM VS Achuthanandan Dies At 101
Achuthanandan, a founding member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), was a lifelong champion of workers' rights, land reforms, and social justice.
He was admitted to the SUT Hospital on June 23 following a cardiac arrest. India's first communist leader from a working-class background to rise to the office of Chief Minister, Achuthanandan is survived by his wife, K. Vasumathy; daughter, V.V. Asha; and son, V.A. Arun Kumar.
Born on October 20, 1923, into an agricultural labourer’s family in Punnapra, Alappuzha, Achuthanandan endured early hardship: he lost his mother to smallpox at age 11 and his father soon after, forcing him to leave school in the seventh grade.
After a brief stint working in his brother’s tailor shop, he joined the freedom struggle at 16, inspired by Communist pioneer P. Krishna Pillai. His activism among coir workers, toddy tappers, and farm labourers led him to prominence during the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising against the Travancore Diwan.
In 1964, Achuthanandan was among 32 leaders who split from the Communist Party of India to form the CPM. He later spearheaded protests against the Emergency, enduring imprisonment. Over more than eight decades of public service, he was elected MLA seven times and holds the record as Kerala Assembly’s longest serving Leader of the Opposition (1992–96, 2001–06, 2011–16).
In 2006, at 82, he became the state’s oldest Chief Minister, leading landmark initiatives such as the Munnar reclamation drive, stringent actions against online lottery and film piracy syndicates, and the promotion of free and open source software alongside Richard Stallman.
He also oversaw the establishment of IT parks in Kollam and Alappuzha and led environmental and social justice campaigns, most notably opposing the Coca Cola plant at Plachimada.
Even in his nineties, Achuthanandan retained immense public support. He campaigned vigorously for the Left Democratic Front’s 2016 electoral victory, then gracefully ceded the chief ministership to Pinarayi Vijayan due to health considerations.
A vocal critic of his own party at times, his public remarks on the SNC Lavalin case — regarding an alleged scam of about `374 crore in the upgrading of hydroelectric power stations —earned him removal from the Politburo in 2009.
He nonetheless remained beloved by the masses. A stroke in 2019 ended his public life, and he spent his final years at his son V.A. Arun Kumar’s home in Thiruvananthapuram.
As Kerala bids farewell to its “Viplava Suryan” (Revolutionary Sun), his unwavering commitment to social justice, equality, environmental conservation, and gender rights will continue to inspire generations.