India pays respect to veteran communist head

2025-07-23 09:32:51

(MENAFN) Thousands have gathered to pay their respects to VS Achuthanandan, a veteran Indian communist leader whose funeral is scheduled for Wednesday.

Known simply as VS, he passed away on Monday at the age of 101. He was a founding member of India’s largest communist party and served as the chief minister of Kerala, a southern state.

Large crowds have filled the streets to honor one of Kerala’s most influential political figures. Despite facing poverty in childhood and enduring torture while in police custody, Achuthanandan rose to become a beloved leader.

He had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram after suffering a cardiac arrest last month. His funeral will take place near his hometown in the Alappuzha district, with full state honors.

MA Baby, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) — CPI(M) — described Achuthanandan as “the epitome of struggle,” highlighting that fighting for the rights of the oppressed was central to his life.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, also from CPI(M), called him a “limitless repository of inspiration and lessons.”

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