New Delhi [India], July 21 : Scores of CPI(M) leader paid their tributes to former Kerala Chief Minister and veteran CPI(M) leader VS Achuthanandan, who passed away at the age of 101 on Monday. He was undergoing treatment in a private hospital after a cardiac arrest
Brinda Karat, senior CPI(M) leader, expressed her sorrow and remembered Achuthanandan as a fighter.
While speaking to ANI, Brinda said, "We are all deeply sad. There is no science to prevent death, but I can say that for us, the people of Kerala and the poor of the country, he was a warrior. A warrior against injustice, against exploitation, and he always fought for a better future. As a warrior, as a fighter, as a legislator representing his constituency, as the CM of Kerala, there were many achievements for him..."
He was one of the founding members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and a prominent figure in the Indian Left movement.
Another senior leader of CPI(M), Nilotpal Basu, highlighted Achuthanandan's decades-long commitment to the party and movement. "It is a moment of profound grief for us in the party and the Left movement as well. He was 101 years old, and he is the longest-surviving member of the National Council of CPI who walked out and formed the CPI(M) along with others. He joined the movement at the age of 17, so he had a very long public life..." he told ANI
Vijoo Krishnan, CPI(M) leader, recalled Achuthanandan's progressive leadership, saying, "It's a sad day for all of us. Former Kerala CM VS Achuthanandan passed away at the age of 101. Having been born in extremely poor conditions and facing a lot of oppression, he fought against oppression and fought for the rights of the oppressed people, the workers. Throughout his long career in politics, he has been a member of the Politburo of the CPI(M)..." he added.
"As the chief minister, many progressive legislation were passed. Firstly, to stop the farmers' suicides, the debt relief commission was brought in. The better prices for farmers' produce were instituted during his time. It is a revolutionary leader that we have lost today, and he will surely inspire generations to come..." he further said.
Another prominent leader from the Left, Hannan Mollah, called Achuthanandan one of the greatest leaders of the movement. "One of the great leaders of CPI(M) passed away... He was a very great leader of the Communist movement... He was a very popular leader in the State. He came from a very small background, but he emerged as the biggest political leader of the state..."
The Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, paid tributes to Achuthanandan.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government has declared a three-day mourning period beginning from July 22 as a mark of respect to V S Achuthanandan
During this time, the National Flag will be flown at half-mast on all government buildings across Kerala.
Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan was the Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011. He was also the longest-serving opposition leader in the Kerala Assembly, holding the position for 15 years.
Achuthanandan was a founding member of the CPM. He served as the Secretary of the CPM Kerala State Committee from 1980 to 1992. He was the LDF convener between 1996 and 2000, and Leader of the Opposition in three separate terms--1992 to 1996, 2001 to 2006, and 2011 to 2016.