VS Achuthanandan, former Kerala CM, veteran communist leader, passes away at 101
Thiruvananthapuram: V.S. Achuthanandan, one of India's most respected communist leaders and a towering presence in Kerala politics for over eight decades, passed away on Monday at the age of 101. He had been bedridden in recent years due to prolonged illness.
Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan, popularly known as VS, served as the Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011 and remained a central figure in the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPM] for decades. His tenure as Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly spanned 15 years, the longest in the state's history.
Achuthanandan began his political journey in 1939 through the State Congress and trade union activism. He officially joined the Communist Party in 1940 and was instrumental in mobilising coir workers, toddy tappers, and agricultural labourers. His efforts led to the founding of the Travancore Karshaka Thozhilali Union, which later evolved into the Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union (KSKTU).
A Politburo member from 1985 to 2009, he was later moved to the party's Central Committee. VS played a vital role in several landmark struggles, including the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising of 1946, a defining moment in Kerala’s pre-independence labour movement. His life was marked by immense personal sacrifice: he spent over five years in prison and remained underground for nearly four and a half years during periods of intense political repression.
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Efforts of party cadres will be rewarded on May 4: DMK chief Stalin
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said that the efforts made by his party cadres during the Assembly elections would be rewarded on May 4.
The counting of votes for the Assembly elections held on April 23 will be taken up on May 4.
"We are set to reap the rewards of the hard work put in by our party cadres on the coming fourth (May 4 counting day). There is absolutely no change in this and not even the slightest deviation," Stalin said at a May Day event here.
"There is no need for anyone to assume that I am speaking merely on the basis of exit polls," he added.
Stalin, who is also DMK chief, said that "good news" would come for those eagerly waiting for the election results.
Stating that the DMK governance is based on philosophy and principles, Stalin said, "This will continue."
He recalled the pivotal role of the then Chief Minister C N Annadurai, who first declared May Day as a government holiday, and subsequently, late CM M Karunanidhi, who was instrumental in extending it as a paid holiday across the nation.
"Responding to the request of Kalaingnar (Karunanidhi), the then Prime Minister V P Singh accepted the plea and declared it (May 1) a paid government holiday not merely for Tamil Nadu, but for the entire nation," Stalin said.
