logo
V S Achuthanandan: A Rebel who redefined Kerala's political battles

V S Achuthanandan: A Rebel who redefined Kerala's political battles

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was V S Achuthanandan's wont to see divides everywhere. Where none existed, he would create one. He would position himself on one side and wage a battle. He has won some; lost some, and transformed himself in the process. His political longevity has surprised and irked many, for he was the archetypal voice of opposition – in his party and the larger society.
As CPM state secretary (1980-1992), he ruled with an iron fist. Later on, however, he transformed himself into a critical insider, waging pitched battles against power concentrated in the hands of one-time party proteges. He was a hawk, who wouldn't budge from his notions of doctrinal purity, no matter what. That essentially meant he had to swim against the organisational tide.
Though he was one of the 32 founding leaders of CPM in 1964, his deviation from the party line began the very next year. In 1964-65, almost the entire CPM leadership was accused of being Chinese spies and jailed during the India-China war. As a prisoner at the Poojappura Central Prison, VS organised prisoners and exhorted them to donate blood for Indian soldiers. The party prison committee rejected his proposal saying it went against Marxist-Leninist principles.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Watch: PM Modi embarks on 4-day visit to UK, Maldives; trade, defence ties in focus
Watch: PM Modi embarks on 4-day visit to UK, Maldives; trade, defence ties in focus

First Post

time26 minutes ago

  • First Post

Watch: PM Modi embarks on 4-day visit to UK, Maldives; trade, defence ties in focus

PM Modi's trips aim to boost trade and defence ties, with a major highlight being the anticipated signing of a landmark India-UK free trade agreement read more Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (July 23) departed for a two-nation visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives. In the first leg of the visit, the PM will visit the UK from July 23 to 24. From there, he will fly to the Maldives before concluding his four-day trip. #WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi departs for a two-nation visit to the United Kingdom and Maldives. PM Modi will pay an official visit to the United Kingdom from 23 – 24 July. In the second leg of his visit, PM will undertake a State Visit to Maldives from July… — ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD PM Modi's trips aim to boost trade and defence ties, with a major highlight being the anticipated signing of a landmark India-UK free trade agreement during his London visit. The foreign tour comes amidst the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, which started on July 21. In the Maldives, the PM will be the guest of honour at the nation's Independence Day celebrations. In the UK, he's scheduled for in-depth discussions with Starmer and a meeting with King Charles III on July 23-24. This marks PM Modi's fourth UK visit since taking office. On Thursday (July 24), Starmer will host Modi at Chequers, the British prime minister's countryside retreat, about 50 km northwest of London. According to sources cited by news agency PTI, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and his UK counterpart Jonathan Reynolds are expected to finalise the free trade agreement in the presence of both leaders. (More to follow)

India to resume tourist visas to Chinese nationals from July 24 after 5 yrs
India to resume tourist visas to Chinese nationals from July 24 after 5 yrs

Business Standard

time26 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

India to resume tourist visas to Chinese nationals from July 24 after 5 yrs

India will start issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals from July 24 after halting them for five years, Reuters reported, citing the Indian Embassy in China. The development marks a shift in the strained ties between the two countries, which are aiming to improve ties and ease tensions after Galwan clashes in 2020. Chinese media Global Times shared the post made by the Indian Embassy in China on Weibo. Sharing the post on X, it said, "The Embassy of India in China announced via its Sina Weibo account on Wednesday that, starting from July 24, 2025, Chinese citizens can apply for a tourist visa to visit India after completing an online application, scheduling an appointment, and personally submitting their passport and other required documents to the Indian Visa Application Centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, in South China's Guangdong Province." It further added, "This marks the first time since the suspension in 2020 that India has resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens after a five-year hiatus, according to media reports." India suspends visas for Chinese nationals In 2020, India suspended all tourist visas for Chinese nationals in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. In April 2022, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a notice, stating that all tourist visas to Chinese nationals will no longer be valid. The move came in retaliation after China limited the re-entry of as many as 22,000 Indian students in the country after the Covid-19 pandemic. Breakthrough in India-China ties Earlier in March this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted positive developments in India-China relations. He added that both countries have made positive strides in their bilateral ties and achieved encouraging outcomes. Yi emphasised the need for a cooperative partnership between the dragon (China) and the elephant (India). He stated, "China believes that as the largest neighbors, both countries should be partners in each other's success." He attributed the positive developments between the two countries to a successful meeting held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Kazan, Russia.

US lawmaker warns against H20 chip sales to China, vows US dominance in global AI race
US lawmaker warns against H20 chip sales to China, vows US dominance in global AI race

Time of India

time36 minutes ago

  • Time of India

US lawmaker warns against H20 chip sales to China, vows US dominance in global AI race

Chairman of Select Committee on the Chinese communist party (SCCCP) John Moolenaar (R-MI) gave a speech at the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy discussing a crucial topic: ensuring the security of the technologies that will shape the upcoming century. "Semiconductors, AI, quantum computing aren't just economic assets. They're the backbone of national security, diplomacy, and global power," asserted Moolenaar, according to the release by SCCCP. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science Healthcare healthcare Management MBA CXO Artificial Intelligence others PGDM Public Policy Technology Others Design Thinking Data Analytics MCA Cybersecurity Product Management Project Management Data Science Leadership Finance Operations Management Digital Marketing Degree Skills you'll gain: Strategic Data-Analysis, including Data Mining & Preparation Predictive Modeling & Advanced Clustering Techniques Machine Learning Concepts & Regression Analysis Cutting-edge applications of AI, like NLP & Generative AI Duration: 8 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis & Interpretation Programming Proficiency Problem-Solving Skills Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT MSc in Data Science Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Moolenaar also expressed his disagreement with the recent choice to remove the prohibition on the sale of H20 chips to China.. "The decision to lift the ban was done for a reason I very much agree with. Selling H20s to China further extends U.S. technology as the global standard and provides valuable revenue for U.S. companies that will be used to invest in the next tech generation. However, these are not the only objectives we must achieve. The core objective of all U.S. export control restrictions to China is preventing the PLA from advancing their military capability, in this case AI, through U.S. technology," he continued, as quoted by SCCCP. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 32 Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo "The H20 is a stark improvement over what the Chinese can indigenously produce at scale. When, not if, these chips are diverted to a PLA supercomputer , they will substantially upgrade their ability to run advanced AI models. Additionally, the U.S. must dominate AI software as much as it does hardware. My committee's April 2025 report showed how DeepSeek was able to illegally use access to U.S. models to develop a comparable capability. It was done at a fraction of the price and U.S. chips including the H20 were critical. DeepSeek is now free to use, essentially giving away what took U.S. companies years of research and millions of dollars," Moolenaar said. "If we are to win the AI race, we must be the global standard for both AI hardware and software while ensuring the U.S. military, not the PLA, has the advantage in AI", stated SCCCP release. Concluding the speech, the Chairman said, "We will not allow China to use American chips to build the arsenal of authoritarianism. But we will ensure the world runs on American AI. That is the dual mission and how the United States will win the global AI future", SCCCP release noted. Live Events

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store