Thiruvananthapuram, July 21 -- A relentless fighter for justice, V.S. Achuthanandan - fondly known as VS - was a towering figure in Kerala politics, as well as a founding leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who served as the state chief minister between 2006 and 2011.
The veteran leader, who passed away today, led a political life marked by landmark struggles for land rights, anti-corruption crusades, environmental protection, and the upliftment of marginalised communities.
In connection with the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising in 1946, he was arrested, tortured, and imprisoned at the age of 23 for participating in a militant revolt against the policies of C.P. Ramaswami Iyer, the Diwan of the princely state of Travancore. He rema...