It was the year 2006. Kerala was gearing up for another assembly election, and all political parties were engrossed in discussions about their election strategies. The CPI(M) was experiencing significant internal conflicts with V.S. Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan leading two rival factions.
One faction, aligned with the official leadership under Pinarayi, argued that Achuthanandan or VS as he is fondly known in the state, was against development and should not be given a seat to contest. Simultaneously, a counter-narrative emerged, which, much to the dismay of the party's official leadership, portrayed VS as a champion of environmental conservation, and women's security and a crusader against corruption. Back then, a substantial portion of Kerala society embraced the notion that the red party's official leadership had strayed from communist ideals, and VS was seen as an antidote to this ideological deterioration. The party leadership alleged that a media syndicate was spreading this propaganda, operating with the tacit approval from VS's office.
As the election drew closer, the Politburo of the party convened a meeting of central committee members to determine who should lead the party. Among the 10 central committee members from Kerala, seven advocated against VS contesting and in favour of Pinarayi taking the lead. As described in the book Communist Keralam, there were intense debates within the Politburo regarding the leadership, and eventually, Pinarayi declared that he would not contest. In the meantime, VS announced that he, too, would not contest, citing the lack of support from the majority of central committee members from Kerala.
Within the party state committee, however, a strong demand arose for VS to be nominated as a candidate. This call stemmed from the recognition of the support that VS had garnered from the people of Kerala. Several district committees sent letters expressing the belief that the party would face defeat without his candidacy. Pro-VS public gatherings and protests took place in numerous locations, and a significant portion of the media also voiced support for VS.
Ultimately, the overwhelming popularity that VS enjoyed created an unprecedented situation where the party reversed its initial decision to deny him a seat. VS's candidacy sparked a wave of support that secured 99 seats for the LDF. The Politburo allowed his candidacy with the condition that the decision regarding the chief minister's post would be made later. However, the resounding victory led to VS becoming the oldest chief minister the state had ever seen.
Today marks the 100th birthday of VS. Following a stroke he experienced on October 24, 2019, VS has been in a state of complete rest, cloaked in profound silence. Nevertheless, over the past four years, there have been numerous instances when the people of Kerala wished he were still active, able to impart his corrective wisdom to the realm of Kerala politics.
VS belongs to that select group of Indian political leaders who ascended to the position of chief minister despite hailing from an exceedingly impoverished family background. He had to stop formal education in seventh grade due to his family's dire economic circumstances. However, in his teens, he demonstrated exceptional skills to organise factory workers and farmers.
VS became a member of the Communist Party at the age of 17, with the legendary revolutionary P. Krishna Pilla, one of the founding figures of the Communist Party of India in Kerala, taking a keen interest in his party membership. In 1964, when the party was divided, VS was one among the 32 leaders who walked out of the CPI council to form the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
VS's journey, from being a humble coir factory worker at Aspinwall in Alappuzha to the role of chief minister of Kerala, is truly exhilarating. He was elected to the state assembly a total of seven times, serving as the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly for three terms. Over more than two decades, he held a position as a member of the PolitBuro and was CPM state secretary on three occasions.
He learnt the lessons of politics by immersing himself in the company of people and navigating a wide array of challenging circumstances. During his youth, he confronted life-threatening violence while incarcerated—stemming from the Punnapra-Vayalar communist uprising in October 1946. It was a petty thief named Kovalan who had played a crucial role in saving his life. Up until 1982, he contended with various forms of threats and violence from those deemed as 'class enemies.' However, starting in 1982, the majority of his struggles were internal, occurring within his own party. He demonstrated the audacity to openly critique the party leadership and even actively participated in campaigns that the leadership hesitated to endorse. The discord between VS and Pinarayi led to a prolonged period of unrest within the party, primarily because VS consistently demonstrated his readiness for protracted conflicts.
In 1979, he battled a severe heart disease and, from that point onward, adhered to a rigorous diet and exercise regimen. Through his disciplined lifestyle, he waged a battle against physical ailments as well.
VS occupies an irreplaceable position in the collective consciousness of Kerala. And he will forever stand as one of the most prominent symbols of 'left politics' in the nation.