Hyderabad: CPI(M) Politburo member B.V. Raghavulu described former Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan as an impeccable leader and a towering figure in Indian communist politics, calling his death an irreparable loss to the party.
Speaking at a tribute event at the CPI(M) state office in Hyderabad on Tuesday evening, Raghavulu said the best tribute to Achuthanandan would be to carry forward his ideological legacy and party-building efforts. He recalled that VS was among the original 32 members who founded the CPI(M) and was the last of them to pass away.
Raghavulu said Achuthanandan never wavered in his commitment to people’s movements and ideological struggles, even through political highs and lows. He lauded VS for his lifelong role in the communist movement, including his early involvement in the Unna Pravailar anti-landlord agitation at age 17.
He highlighted VS’s initiatives as Chief Minister, such as land distribution and housing for the poor in Kerala, and described him as a leader admired across party lines. He also noted VS’s endurance during the Emergency and credited him with laying the foundations for CPI(M)’s strength in Kerala alongside leaders like P. Sundarayya.
Describing Achuthanandan as one of the few leaders who earned universal respect in Kerala’s political history, Raghavulu said the party had lost a rare and principled figure.
CPI(M) state secretary members T. Sagar, P. Prabhakar, Bandaru Ravikumar, former MP Medium Baburao, and other senior leaders participated in the tribute.
