VS is the heart of this movement; Farewell, beloved comrade: Chief Minister

Thiruvananthapuram: A blazing chapter in Kerala’s communist history came to a solemn close on Wednesday as Comrade V S Achuthanandan, the last of the 32 founding leaders of the CPI M, was cremated in the sands of Valiyachudukad.

In an emotional message shared after the farewell ceremony, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “At the condolence meeting held in Valiyachudukad, I could not say everything that was in my heart.”

Calling VS an unparalleled organiser and a towering figure in the Indian Communist movement, the Chief Minister said the veteran’s life was one of unflinching sacrifice and unmatched clarity. “He held a leadership position in every sense. A life that walked the path of sacrifice. Unparalleled. That great life has now drawn its final curtain,” the post read.

Reflecting on VS’s foundational role in the CPI M, Vijayan noted that the movement began with a decision taken by 32 leaders, including VS himself, and that he was the final living link in that historic group. “Today, the last link among those 32 has been laid to rest,” he wrote.

As thousands gathered in Valiyachudukad to pay their final respects, the Chief Minister said the crowd defied all expectations and schedules, coming with just one wish, to see their beloved comrade one last time. “The cries of Lal Salaam rising from countless hearts bid him farewell,” he added.

Remembering the symbolic weight of the cremation ground itself, Vijayan noted that VS’s body was laid to rest on the very sands where Punnapra- Vayalar’s revolutionary legacy still resonates, and where comrades like P Krishna Pillai found eternal rest. “A blazing chapter of revolutionary Kerala comes to an end,” he said.

Yet, he affirmed, VS has not died. “He lives through us. A Communist like Comrade VS does not die. He is the soul of this party. The heart of this movement.”

Pinarayi Vijayan concluded by calling on the people to continue walking the path VS had lit with his life. “The radiant source of light and energy that is VS stands before us. That journey must go on.”

“Farewell, beloved comrade.

Revolutionary leader of generations,

may you remain the spirit of generations to come.

Lal Salaam.”