Resolute. Uncompromising. Clean. No other words would best describe the almost seven decade long political life of Sri. V.S. Achuthanandan, Kerala’s new Chief Minister. Comrade VS to his followers, he carries with him the dreams of the man on the street.
Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan was born on 20th October 1923 in Punnapra, Alappuzha to Sri. Sankaran and Smt. Accamma. Memories of childhood are not that sweet for Achuthanandan. He lost his mother when he was four and his father seven years later. He was then supported by his brother Sri. Gangadharan, who ran their father’s tailoring shop. As the going got tough, he dropped out of school and started helping his brother. His formal education ended in Class VII and his initiation into politics followed soon. Independent struggle, fights against feudalism and caste system all instilled in him the urge to fight, to revolt and he joined the State Congress in 1939. A year later, at the age of 17, Achuthanandan became a member of the Communist Party.
Experiences of harassment and exploitation as a worker at the Aspinwal coir factory made VS an active trade unionist. Recognising his capabilities, communist stalwart Sri. P.Krishna Pillai deputed Achuthanandan to organize farm workers against feudalism in Kuttanad, Kerala’s rice bowl. Under his leadership voices of protest began to be heard loud. Success in the Sreemoolam Kayal Agitation was pivotal in building up a farm workers’ movement in the region. Achuthanandan played an important role in organizing workers for the historic Punnapra- Vayalar uprising as well. As a consequence of his politics of agitation, he was imprisoned for five and a half years and was forced to go underground for four and half years. He has survived brutal police excesses as well.
At the organizational level, Achuthanandan became the party’s Alappuzha district secretary in 1952. Here also his tryst with history continued when he left the CPI National Council along with 31 other members to form CPI (M) in 1964. From 1980 to 1992 he led the party in Kerala as its state secretary. He is a member of the party Polit Bureau since 1985.
Achuthanandan has got elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1967, 1970, 1991, 2001 before becoming Chief Minister in 2006. He was the Leader of Opposition from 1992 to 1996 and from 2001 till May 2006 and used his position successfully in raising crucial public issues and fighting corruption. He now represents Malampuzha Constituency. His efforts generated immense popular support which contributed to his elevation as Chief Minister.
