'Decided to purchase gold necklace with first stipend, but..'; VS Achuthanandan's timely advice to daughter Dr Asha

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Uncompromising nature to stand by core values was one among the virtues that made VS Achuthanandan stand apart from the rest of the political leaders of our times. Dr. V V Asha, daughter of Achuthanandan, once spoke about an incident to Kerala Kaumudi, related to the veteran leader.

Golden Necklace:

In 1991, I received a six-month stipend during the research period. I had a strong desire to use that money to purchase a gold necklace. I went straight to my father to ask for a suggestion. His response left me thinking. “You are a daughter of a labour leader. Keep that in mind, and you can buy the necklace if you wish to”. The message was clear, and thus I saved the money and bought a necklace on my own, only during my wedding.

Emergency:

During the emergency era, I was seven years old, and one night, the Police surrounded our house. After consoling me, my mother and my brother (Arunkumar), giving a kiss on our cheeks, he went along with the police. A few days later, when I visited my father at Poojappura Central Jail, he gave me the orange he had in his hand. I vividly remember the incident.

Ponmudi:

While studying MSc in Thiruvananthapuram, I had a great desire to visit Ponmudi. My father arranged an ambassador car and we travelled to the tourist hotspot. Father asked us to walk around the place and return within ten minutes as he had to attend a crucial meeting. Amidst the hassles of work, he decided to travel with us such a long distance.

Cinema visit:

My father had a great affection for theatre but didn’t carry the same zeal for cinema. It was a time when Kamal Haasan’s ‘Saaagra Sangamam’ ruled the theatres, and the craze was massive. After much pressure from our side, he took us to the movies. My mother watched everything in amazement and enjoyed the movie while my father was sound asleep in the seat next to us.