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The body of VS Achuthanandan will be kept at the old AKG Centre in Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram, where the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the public can pay their final respects. The iconic Communist leader and former Chief Minister passed away on Monday, July 21.
Achuthanandan, who was 101, was one of the last remaining links to the original leadership that shaped the CPI(M) following its split from the CPI in 1964. His death marks the end of an era in Indian Left politics.
In a solemn press communiqué, the CPI(M) Polit Bureau said, “In his death, the Party and the communist movement have suffered a grievous loss.” Recalling him as “an able organiser who spearheaded various struggles in Kerala”, the party described him as “an outstanding leader and veteran of the communist movement.”
The statement paid tribute to his early activism: “His first brush with the trade union movement was when he organised the coir workers at the Aspinwal Company where he had started working.” It also noted that he joined the Communist Party in 1940 at the age of 17, and later endured “severe custodial torture” after being arrested during the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising.
After the AKG Centre tribute, Achuthanandan’s body was taken to his residence in the city. From 9.30 am on Tuesday, July 22, his body will lie in state at the Durbar Hall for public homage. Following that, it will be transported to Alappuzha, his hometown, where it will reach by night.
The funeral is scheduled for July 23, Wednesday afternoon, at the Punnapra-Vayalar Memorial in Valiya Chudukad, a symbolic return to the site of one of his earliest battles against feudal oppression and colonial rule.
Achuthanandan’s political life was a study in resilience. From surviving brutal repression in the 1940s to being elected Chief Minister at the age of 82, he combined the spirit of a grassroots activist with the responsibility of high office. The CPI(M) noted that he was “known for his austere lifestyle and unwavering commitment to social justice,” and highlighted his effectiveness as a public speaker who “mastered the art to communicate directly with the audience.”
He held multiple key positions in the party, Secretary of the Kerala State Committee (1980–1991), Polit Bureau member (1985), and eventually, Leader of Opposition and Chief Minister of Kerala. Even after stepping away from active politics in 2018 due to ill-health, he continued to inspire generations of party workers and political observers alike.
“In his death, the red banner dips,” the party declared, offering condolences to his wife, son, and daughter.
