'Political journey that lasted for 84 years, every struggle for the people'; Politburo pays tribute to VS

The CPM Politburo has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of senior Communist leader and former Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan. In its tribute, the Politburo remembered VS as a capable organiser who led numerous significant struggles in Kerala.

'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 the communist movement in Kerala. As a public speaker, VS had mastered the art of communicating 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 Politburo said.