By Pinarayi Vijayan
The life of Comrade VS Achuthanandan who passed away at the age of 101 on Monday is a remarkable chapter in the history of Kerala in general and the revolutionary movement here in particular.
Comrade VS Achuthanandan was a symbol of a brilliant tradition of struggle, extraordinary determination and uncompromising fighting stance. His century-long life, which took on the problems of the people and stood with the people, is inextricably intertwined with the modern history of Kerala. VS’s contributions, which led the Kerala government, the CPI(M), the Left Democratic Front and the opposition at various stages, are unparalleled. History will record that they are part of Kerala’s political legacy.
The demise of VS marks the end of an era. This has caused a heavy loss to the party, the revolutionary movement and the entire democratic progressive movement. The party can only make up for that loss through collective leadership. This is a time when many memories of working together for a long time come flooding back.
VS had an eventful life marked by extraordinary energy and survival power in the revolutionary movement. The life of VS is a struggle-filled chapter in the history of Kerala and the Communist Party. The political life of the comrade, who grew up with the movement by organizing workers’ and peasant uprisings, emerged through struggles to correct the dark times when feudalism and casteism were the flag-bearers. From humble beginnings, he rose to the position of Chief Minister of Kerala through the steps of the growth of the Communist movement.
When the Communist Party split in 1964, the last remaining link among the 32 people who left the National Council was severed with the demise of VS. A valuable political presence that had kept the national freedom struggle in sync with contemporary politics had disappeared.
As a communist leader, as a member of the Legislative Assembly, as the Leader of the Opposition and as the Chief Minister, Mr. VS has made many contributions. The comrade, who is synonymous with Punnapra-Vayalar, grew up through a life of suffering, endurance and survival.
From a worker, VS rose very quickly to become a powerful leader of the working class movement. The party developed VS and the VS Party. In 1940, at the age of 17, he became a member of the Communist Party and remained a member of the party for a long time, 85 years. Comrade VS, who went to Kuttanad, led the struggle to end the wage slavery and caste slavery faced by the agricultural workers. He walked around the villages of Kuttanad and convened meetings of agricultural workers and developed them into an organized force. He did this by challenging the landlords and the police.
VS played an irreplaceable role in the formation of the ‘Travancore Agricultural Workers Union’ and later in its development into one of the largest labor movements in Kerala, the ‘Kerala State Agricultural Workers Union’. The countless struggles led by VS changed the social history of Kuttanad. He was at the forefront of the struggles for better wages, the abolition of the chappa system, job stability, and the seizure of surplus land. His efforts to instill confidence and team spirit in the workers, walking for kilometers along the ridges of the fields and visiting their huts, attracted them all to the movement.
He was arrested after the party was banned in 1948. In 1952, he was elected as the party’s Alappuzha division secretary. In the meantime, he was active in the agitations led by the Communist Party for a united Kerala. When the Communist Party came to power in 1957, he became the party’s Alappuzha district secretary and a member of the state secretariat. In 1959, he became a member of the party’s national council. VS led many courageous struggles, including the surplus land struggle.
He served in prison for more than five and a half years at various times. He has been a member of the CPI (M) Central Committee since 1964. He became a member of the Politburo in 1985. He served as the CPI (M) State Secretary from 1980 to 92 and as the LDF convener from 1996 to 2000. He resigned from the Central Committee due to old age at the 21st Party Congress held in Kolkata in 2015. Later, he became a special invitee to the Central Committee. He was the Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2006. He was the Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011. He continued as the Leader of the Opposition again from 2011 to 2016. He is a leader who has left his own mark on all the positions he has held.
Having personally experienced the hardships of agricultural workers and coir workers, VS turned his experiences into strength. The comrade, who stood for the liberation of the exploited, led the agricultural workers’ movement and the communist movement forward with that courage. He fought against revisionism in the period following the split in the party and later against extreme extremism, and played a major role in keeping the party firmly on the right track.
Going beyond mere politics, VS worked in various fields such as environment, human rights, and women’s equality. It was in that process that VS rose to public acceptance while still being the party leader. VS played a major role in bringing other issues of social importance to mainstream political issues.
As a member of the Legislative Assembly, Mr. VS also made unique contributions. He became a member of the Legislative Assembly from Ambalappuzha in 1967 and 70, and from Mararikulam in 1991. He became an MLA from Malampuzha constituency in Palakkad district from 2001 to 2021. He also served as the Chairman of the Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission from 2016 to 2021. During his tenure as Chief Minister, he led Kerala forward by implementing the policies formulated by the party and the front. He led the government without wavering in crises. As the Leader of the Opposition, he raised many popular issues in the House. He also made his own contributions in legislative matters. VS is a leader who has left a unique mark on the political history of Kerala.
The demise of Comrade VS has created an irreparable loss for the party and the country. (IPA Service)
**The writer is the Chief Minister of Kerala