Veteran communist leader Achuthanandan passes away at 101

Former Kerala Chief Minister and veteran CPI(M) leader V S Achuthanandan, one of India's most respected Communist figures and a key presence in Kerala's political history, died on Monday at the age of 101, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said.

The veteran leader passed away at 3.20 pm while undergoing treatment in the critical care unit of Pattom SUT Hospital, according to an official bulletin issued by the hospital.

Achuthanandan had been receiving treatment since June 23, following a cardiac arrest.

A founding member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Achuthanandan was a lifelong champion of workers' rights, land reforms, and social justice.

He served as Kerala's Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011 and was elected to the state assembly seven times, serving three terms as Leader of the Opposition.

Speaking to reporters at the hospital, Govindan said Achuthanandan's body would be shifted to the AKG Study and Research Centre in Thiruvananthapuram within an hour, where party workers and the public could pay their respects.

Later tonight, the mortal remains will be taken to his house here. On Tuesday morning, the body will be kept at the Durbar Hall for the public to pay homage.

Afterwards, the body will be transported to his hometown, Alappuzha, on Tuesday afternoon.

"We expect to reach there by night," Govindan said, adding that people may gather along the way to catch a final glimpse of their beloved leader.

After a brief stop at the party's district headquarters in Alappuzha, Achuthanandan's cremation will take place at the public crematorium in Alappuzha Valiya Chudukadu by Wednesday noon.

Earlier in the day, following reports of his deteriorating health, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) leaders rushed to the hospital.

Born on October 20, 1923 in Punnapra, a coastal village in Alappuzha district, Achuthanandan's early life was marked by hardship and poverty.

He lost his mother at the age of four and his father while still in school, forcing him to abandon his studies after Class VII. He briefly worked in a textile shop and later as a labourer in a coir factory.

His political journey began in the 1940s, inspired by legendary Communist leader P Krishna Pillai.

In 1943, he represented Alappuzha at the Communist Party conference.

During the 1946 Punnapra-Vayalar uprising, he went underground and was later arrested and severely beaten. Believed to be dead by the police, he was about to be buried in the forest when it was discovered he was still alive and taken to the hospital.

Despite being tortured during the 1946 uprising, he returned to political activism. In 1956, he joined the party's state committee and steadily rose to hold key national positions.

In 1964, he was among the 32 national council members who split from the Communist Party to form the CPI(M), a pivotal moment in Indian Left politics.

He joined the party's central committee the same year and was inducted into the Politburo in 1985.

Achuthanandan became known for his integrity, sharp speeches in colloquial Malayalam, and firm stance against corruption, land grabs, and misuse of power.

Even in his later years, he remained immensely popular and widely respected for his dedication to ordinary people.

He built a reputation as a straight-talking, no-nonsense leader who consistently raised his voice on public issues--from environmental protection to women's rights.

At one point, he was removed from the Politburo for publicly criticising the party’s official line. For Achuthanandan, ideology was not something he simply believed in--it was something he had lived through.

When the Left Democratic Front returned to power, he was denied the Chief Minister’s post. The party, citing internal decisions, accused him of a "factionalist mindset" and chose Pinarayi Vijayan instead.