Chittur's beloved leader

Some believe that the ultimate aim of political life is to become a minister. But there are also leaders who value public service and staying connected with the people of their hometown above holding a ministerial post. Former Chittur MLA K. Achuthan, who passed away yesterday, was one such leader. Achuthan represented the Chittur Assembly constituency from 1996 to 2016. His continuous victories in four terms earned him the nickname 'Jyothi Basu of Chittur', a reference to former CPM leader Jyoti Basu, who ruled West Bengal for several consecutive terms.

When Oommen Chandy became Chief Minister, the party invited Achuthan to join his cabinet. However, he warmly and respectfully declined the offer, choosing to remain closely connected with the people of Chittur.

Achuthan had said that becoming a minister would limit his ability to fully attend to the needs of the people of Chittur. He preferred to stand with the people of his constituency in both their happiness and difficult times. This reflected his approach to public life. Achuthan often said that he had never been attracted to a world beyond Chittur. People who knew him well, as well as those meeting him for the first time, affectionately called him 'Achuvettan', regardless of their age. Achuthan entered the Kerala Legislative Assembly after securing victories in the 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011 Assembly elections. He withdrew from active parliamentary politics after losing to former minister K. Krishnankutty in 2016. He was a leader who played a key role in the development of Chittur.

Achuthan passed away while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Alathur for age-related ailments. Chittur MLA Sumeesh Achuthan is his son.

For the people of Chittur, Achuthan was someone they could call at any time, even in the middle of the night, whenever they had a need. His style of functioning was an excellent example of how a public representative should serve the people. He was a leader who maintained a close bond with the public. He was also known for his contributions as a farmer and cooperative sector activist. Apart from serving as the MLA from Chittur for two decades, he served as the chairman of the Chittur-Thathamangalam Municipality for a long period from 1979 to 1996. Since 1978, he had also served as the president of the Thathamangalam Service Cooperative Bank. He held various positions, including president and director of the Chittur Primary Cooperative Agricultural Development Bank. He also served as a member of the Palakkad District Council and the District Planning Committee.

His work in the cooperative sector greatly benefited farmers. Through his public life, Achuthan showed how politics could be effectively used for public service. He was one of the Congress leaders who had a deep influence among the people. With Achuthan's death, the Congress and the UDF have lost an outstanding public servant who understood the problems of ordinary people and worked for them. Achuthan was also a close friend of Kerala Kaumudi. We share the grief of his family members and party workers and offer our heartfelt condolences.