Thiruvananthapuram: In a tribute soaked in emotion and political reverence, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has mourned the passing of Comrade V.S. Achuthanandan, calling it an “irreparable loss” not only to the CPI(M) but also to the entire democratic and progressive movement in the country. The demise of the iconic leader, who traversed nearly a century of revolutionary struggles, marks the end of a political epoch.
“Comrade VS’s life is a luminous chapter in Kerala’s political history, intimately woven with the revolutionary movement that reshaped this land,” said Pinarayi in a deeply personal and reflective message. “His name is synonymous with a brave tradition of resistance, unparalleled determination, and an uncompromising spirit of struggle. His legacy lives not merely in memory but in every grain of Kerala’s political soil.”
Recalling the historic arc of VS’s life from a humble agricultural worker to the Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi painted a portrait of a leader who rose through relentless struggles, always with the people, never above them. Born into poverty, Achuthanandan joined the Communist Party in 1940 at just 17, and from that moment until his last breath, remained rooted in the movement.
“He walked the ridges of paddy fields in Kuttanad, organizing landless laborers against feudal landlords, facing police batons and arrests with the same calm with which he faced electoral battles decades later,” Pinarayi noted. “VS turned personal suffering into political commitment. He led from the trenches, and never from a pedestal.”
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan detailed the towering milestones in VS’s journey from founding the Travancore Agricultural Workers Union to spearheading the historic Michabhoomi struggle, from being jailed for over five years to rising through the ranks to become CPI(M) State Secretary, Politburo member, and eventually the Chief Minister of Kerala.
“When the Communist Party split in 1964, VS stood firm among the 32 who walked away to protect ideological integrity. With his death, the last living link to that defining moment is lost,” said Pinarayi. “His was a political presence that not only remembered the national freedom struggle but also translated its essence into contemporary battles for justice.”
VS served as MLA from various constituencies Ambalappuzha, Mararikulam, and later, Malampuzha for a total of over three decades. He was Leader of the Opposition twice and led the state as Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011. From 2016 to 2021, he chaired the Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission. In every role, he left an imprint that was distinct, honest, and boldly reformative.
“VS was not confined by the boundaries of ideology,” Pinarayi said. “He was also a crusader for environmental protection, women's empowerment, and human rights. He converted social concerns into political issues, and that is why he remained not just a leader of a party but of the people.”
Pinarayi spoke of VS not just as a comrade, but as a political elder who had walked beside him for decades. “The party shaped VS, and VS shaped the party. Even in his later years, his insights were sharp, his vision undimmed. He continued as a guiding spirit, offering clarity in ideological storms.”
Even after stepping down from the Central Committee in 2015 due to age, VS remained a special invitee, offering counsel and continuity. His life, said Pinarayi, was a living history of Kerala’s left movement from the days of underground resistance to mass movements, from revolutionary uprisings to democratic governance.
“Comrade VS’s passing has left a chasm in the party and in the hearts of people,” Pinarayi declared. “But his memory will guide us forward. The only way to honor him is through collective leadership, unwavering in our ideals and fearless in our action.”
As Kerala mourns its revolutionary sun, Pinarayi’s words capture the moment’s gravity: “VS Achuthanandan didn’t just participate in Kerala’s political history. He was one of its architects. And even in death, he continues to illuminate the path ahead.”
With that, Kerala bows in respect not just to a leader, but to a legacy.