Kerala honoured veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader, freedom fighter, and former Chief Minister of Kerala V.S. Achuthanandan on his 100th birthday on Friday.
Mr. Achuthanandan, popularly known as VS, was widely reckoned as a standard-bearer for underdogs and uphill causes, particularly environmental protection, gender equality and free software. He was a towering and fiery presence in Kerala politics for decades till a minor stroke in 2019 forced him to retreat from public life.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that Mr. Achuthanandan had set apart his life for the people of Kerala. He said he cherished his interactions with VS when they were Chief Ministers of Gujarat and Kerala, respectively. He wished Mr. Achuthanandan a long and healthy life.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan tweeted: “My heartiest greetings and best wishes to former Chief Minister Shri #VSAchuthanandan on his 100th birthday. I join the people of Kerala in wishing the beloved & respected people’s leader good health &happiness.”
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described “Comrade VS” as a battle-scarred warrior of bitter anti-feudal agitations and violent agrarian struggles who marched in lockstep with Kerala’s history.
Transcending parties
Politicians across the aisle and hundreds of people from different walks of life feted the centenarian on social media. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan wrote that Mr. Achuthanandan was a societal corrective force. News channels repeatedly broadcast footage from Mr. Achuthanandan’s heyday as a hard-charging Opposition leader and activist Chief Minister.
Mr. Achuthanandan currently leads an assisted living with his wife and son’s family in Thiruvananthapuram. Mr. Vijayan, CPI(M) State Secretary M. V. Govindan, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty and Culture Minister Saji Cherian called on Mr. Achuthanandan. Mr. Govindan said: “Comrade VS continues to inspire the party and the people”.
Scores of party workers gathered outside Mr. Achuthanandan’s house and distributed sweets to passersby. Autorickshaw drivers and headload workers in Neelaswaram in Kasaragod prepared and served “payasam” to mark the occasion. Such scenes were reported from across the State.
Mr. Achuthanandan was born into a family of agricultural workers at Punnapra in Alappuzha in 1923. At 100, he stands tall as an iron-jawed icon of the communist movement in Kerala.
