India's Communists remember Comrade V. S. Achuthanandan

Achuthanandan campaigning for the LDF in Kerala, 2016 -- Praveenp, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

V. S. Achuthanandan, one of Kerala’s most iconic political figures and a founding member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), passed away on July 21, 2025, at the age of 101. Known affectionately as “VS”, he was a tireless champion of workers’ rights, social justice, and socialism. Both the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India have issued statements in his honour.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on the death of Com. V. S. Achuthanandan in Thiruvananthapuram on July 21 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.

(Muralidharan)

For CPI(M) Central Committee Office

CPI Mourns the Loss of Comrade VS Achuthanandan

The National Secretariat of the Communist Party of India issued today (July 21, 2025) the following statement:

The Communist Party of India expresses its deep condolences on the passing of veteran communist leader and former Chief Minister of Kerala, Comrade V. S. Achuthanandan. With his 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. From joining the Communist Party in 1940, rising from the struggles of agricultural workers and coir labourers in Alappuzha, surviving harsh repression, going underground, and facing imprisonment during the Punnapra-Vayalar revolt—he went on to play key roles in building the communist movement in Kerala. One of the founding members of the CPI(M), he later served as CPI(M) Kerala State Secretary, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, and as Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011. Throughout, he remained known for his incorruptibility, dedication, and fierce opposition to communalism and corruption. His tenure as the Chief Minister of the LDF Government was marked by strong stands on land rights, environmental issues, and the rights of the marginalised.

Comrade VS was widely respected across party lines and by the people of Kerala. The CPI pays homage to Comrade V. S. Achuthanandan’s eventful life and legacy. His principled life, simplicity, and dedication to the people will remain an inspiration to the coming generations. The CPI extends its deep condolences to his family, friends, admirers and to the CPI(M).

Sd/-

(Roykutty)

Office Secretary