THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: End of 1990s. The E K Nayanar-led Left government was in power in Kerala. It was around the time Pinarayi Vijayan was set for his first tenure as CPM state secretary.
A section of leaders was eyeing a new political combine—to get the Indian Union Muslim League into the LDF fold, with an eye on cementing a long-term rule for the Left front in the state.
Informal talks between senior leaders were held at varying levels. Several possibilities were discussed. But one question kept bothering them - who would tell VS? The veteran was LDF convener then, and the most powerful leader who virtually called the shots both within the party and the front. IUML leader Kutty Ahammed Kutty who shared a warm rapport with VS was handed the task. Kutty conveyed the idea to VS but not before prefacing it with a request that VS should not be in a hurry to nip the proposal in the bud. VS heard him through, and without batting an eyelid, pronounced his judgement that is now part of state political lore: “Kutty, it is not yet time for the Congress to die in Kerala!” A deeply insightful statement especially relevant in the current political scenario.
Ignoring short-term political gains, the far-sighted Marxist batted for a line that till date underscores how both the Left and the Congress remain relevant in their fight against the saffron front in Kerala’s political landscape.
To VS, it was simple logic. A UDF minus the IUML would naturally weaken the Congress. And in no time, Hindutva forces would rush in to occupy the vacant political space. Though a leader without much formal education, VS always stood out from his peers for his innate political acumen.
Velikkakath Sankaran Achuthanandan, who passed away on Monday, remains an unparallelled Communist, the biggest crowd puller in recent times, last of the old-school Marxists and one of the greatest mass leaders Kerala has ever seen.
The 101-year-old, who was incapacitated following a stroke in 2019, was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the capital following a cardiac arrest on June 23.
A founding leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), VS began his political career as a trade unionist and was later seen at the forefront of land struggles. The Communist movement in Kerala, since its inception in 1939, evolved with VS, who left an indelible imprint on its political evolution as well as its socio-cultural fabric. He was one among the the 32 leaders who walked out of the historic CPI national council meet in 1964 to form the CPI(M).
In many ways, the influence wielded by VS in the CPM has its roots in the quirkiness of modern-day factionalism in the party. Despite challenging the official stance many times and keeping the party on tenterhooks, be it his decision to visit the family of slain RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan on a polling day, taking up the SNC-Lavalin case against Pinarayi or walking out of the 2015 Alappuzha state conference after being termed as a ‘comrade with an anti-party mindset’, he always remained a favourite of many party loyalists.
A tireless anti-corruption crusader of the masses
The Kozhikode conference, where he lost to Nayanar by two votes - contesting for the post of state secretary - marked the pinnacle of factionalism. When it came to electoral politics, his 1996 defeat in the Marxist bastion of Mararikulam, could well be termed a turning point.
The simmering resentment brought out the vengeful politician in VS, leading to the historic 1998 ‘Vettinirathal’ – a total elimination of the CITU lobby in the party. Then began the murkiest and most spiteful episode - VS vs Pinarayi – that lasted for close to two decades.
Once a hardliner, VS transformed himself into a popular leader of the masses by taking up people’s issues and advocating for environmental protection and women’s safety. In a deliberate makeover through interventions in Mathikettan land encroachment, Plachimada drinking water issue, sufferings of Endosulphan victims, leveling of paddy fields, free software movement, fights for women issues and a slew of corruption issues, shaped up the mass leader he became.
A tireless anti-corruption crusader, VS stood up for his convictions, even at the cost of inviting the party’s wrath. This however ensured him the unwavering loyalty of the masses, who took to the streets in 2006 when he was denied an assembly seat to contest, forcing the party to hastily retract its decision.
As chief minister, VS led the historic Munnar eviction drive against illegal encroachments despite opposition from even within his cabinet. His chief ministerial tenure was marked with ups and downs with a rigid party machinery exercising an iron-clad grip on him. He, however, sought to keep alive a searing critique from within, thereby shaping himself into the conscience keeper of the Left movement in Kerala for long.
Three-day mourning in state
In honour of the late leader, the state government has declared a holiday for all government offices, educational institutions (including professional colleges), state public sector undertakings, statutory bodies, autonomous institutions and all entities under the Negotiable Instruments Act on Tuesday. The state will observe three days of mourning starting July 22. During the period, the national flag will be flown at half-mast across all government buildings in the state.