Kerala Cabinet calls Achuthanandan a symbol of relentless democratic struggle

News18

4 days ago

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 24 (PTI) The Kerala cabinet on Thursday described former Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan's life as 'one of relentless struggle for the protection of democratic values" and said his passing was a great loss to the state's political and democratic movements.
Achuthanandan, a veteran Communist leader, died on July 21 in Thiruvananthapuram at the age of 101. He was cremated with full honours at Valiya Chudukadu in Alappuzha district late on Wednesday evening.
Expressing profound grief at the loss of Achuthanandan, the Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, noted that he was a symbol of a glorious legacy of struggles, extraordinary determination, and uncompromising stances in resistance.
'His passing marks the loss of a valuable political presence that bridged the era of the national freedom movement with contemporary politics," the Cabinet said in its tribute.
Born into poverty, Achuthanandan began life as a farm labourer in Kuttanad, where he organised workers against wage and caste-based exploitation.
He walked from village to village, bringing agricultural labourers together and leading campaigns for better pay, job security, and land reform, the Cabinet said.
He was at the forefront of efforts to abolish the 'chaappa" system, an inhuman method of labour recruitment.
Achuthanandan's political journey began with the freedom struggle and developed through the worker-peasant movements that shaped Kerala's leftist landscape. His name remains closely associated with the historic Punnapra-Vayalar uprisings of the 1940s.
Elected to the state Assembly multiple times — from Ambalapuzha in 1967 and 1970, Mararikulam in 1991, and Malampuzha in 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016 — he served as Leader of the Opposition and was Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011.
From 2016 to 2021, he chaired the Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission.
'As Chief Minister, he led Kerala forward through several key administrative decisions. In his role as Leader of the Opposition, he raised numerous people's issues in the Assembly. VS was a statesman who made unparalleled contributions to governance, law-making, and the political history of Kerala. His Cabinet functioned with a constant effort to reflect the voice of the people in governance and to take the state forward on the path of development," the Cabinet said.
In a heartfelt Facebook post, Achuthanandan's son V A Arun Kumar also expressed his deep sorrow and gratitude, recalling the painful realisation that the morning marked their first without him.
'Hundreds of people close to my father wished to see him while he lay on his sickbed. But due to strict instructions from the doctors, no one could be allowed to meet him in his final days. I know many must have felt disappointed by this. I still wonder if I was able to respond warmly enough even to those who came to the hospital to offer their support," he said.
He said it took him a long time to accept his father's passing.
'Everything that happened afterwards feels like a dream. I still vividly remember sitting next to my father on the bus, watching the sea of people flowing past us, waving their hands in farewell, on the journey to Valiya Chudukadu," Kumar said.
Recognising the efforts of all who stood with them, the family also conveyed their heartfelt thanks to the doctors, well-wishers, and the thousands who gathered to honour Achuthanandan.
'I am deeply grateful to everyone –the doctors at the hospital, those who came to comfort us, the thousands who stood with my father one last time, and the party… Thank you all," Kumar wrote. PTI TGB TGB ROH
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First Published:
July 24, 2025, 18:45 IST
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