Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan—affectionately known as Comrade VS—passed away on July 21 at the age of 101 in Thiruvananthapuram after 28 days on life support following a cardiac arrest. Born in 1923 into a modest coir-worker family in Punnapra, he left school early and became a communist activist at 17, joining the CPI in 1940. His career spanned over eight decades, including imprisonment and years spent underground during the Punnapra–Vayalar uprising.

A founding member of the CPI(M) in 1964, VS served as the party’s Kerala state secretary (1980–1992), three-term Leader of the Opposition, and became Kerala’s Chief Minister (2006–2011) at the age of 82, the oldest to hold the office. As CM, he led anti-corruption campaigns, green initiatives, and land reclamation drives, and convicted a former minister in a high-profile corruption case.

His passing prompted three days of mourning and widespread homage—visits by CM Pinarayi Vijayan and public tributes at state venues, including Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha, ahead of his cremation on July 23.

A towering figure in Kerala’s politics, VS Achuthanandan leaves behind a legacy rooted in workers’ rights, social justice, and unwavering integrity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed him as a devoted public servant whose life embodied dedicated engagement with India’s progress.