Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 22 (PTI) With flowers in hand and heartfelt chants filling the air, thousands gathered along the roadsides to pay their final respects to former Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Tuesday as his mortal remains were transported from the state capital to his hometown, Alappuzha.
Some of them walked along with the slow-moving but richly decorated bus to catch a glimpse of the veteran’s body through its open window.
Some others held their little children in their hands and requested the party workers to stop the bus for some seconds to allow the kids to offer their respects.
Long queues of women, including girls, senior citizens, and homemakers, could be seen waiting to witness the stalwart’s final journey throughout the routes, braving sun and rain.
Groups of youngsters, the hardcore admirers of Comrade VS, could be seen walking in front of the bus raising slogans without any interruption. More youths could be seen joining them at each junction.
Due to the massive crowds, the bus, which set off after 2 pm, had only reached Kazhakoottam–just a few kilometres from the city–by 7:45 pm.
Earlier in the day, the mortal remains of the 101-year-old CPI(M) stalwart were brought to the historic Durbar Hall at the Secretariat complex from his residence for political leaders and the public to pay their last respects.
Emotional slogans filled the air — “Brave comrade VS, who said you are gone? You live on through us!” — as long-time supporters and young admirers alike queued for a final glimpse of the leader who shaped Kerala’s political and social fabric for over eight decades.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan led the state’s homage, sitting in silence beside the tricolour-draped body inside the casket.
Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, ministers, political leaders, and dignitaries from socio-religious spheres, along with members of the public, paid rich tributes to Achuthanandan at the Durbar Hall on Tuesday.
In addition to senior CPI(M) leaders, including its General Secretary M A Baby, several prominent figures from socio-religious sectors also offered their respects.
The former chief minister breathed his last at a private hospital here on Monday, and people have been flocking ever since to see him one final time and pay their homage.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph, BJP State Chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar, CPI General Secretary D Raja, senior CPI(M) leaders Prakash Karat and Brinda Karat, and CPI(M) State Secretary M V Govindan were among those who paid their respects to the veteran leader.
Following hours of public homage, the veteran’s body was draped in the party’s red flag and shifted to a specially decorated Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus for transport to his hometown, Alappuzha.
Thousands bid a tearful farewell to Achuthanandan in Thiruvananthapuram, the city where he spent nearly five decades engaged in political activities.
A massive crowd, including women, the elderly, and students, had paid their last respects when the body was kept at the old AKG Centre on Monday night.
By around 11.45 pm, the body was shifted to his son’s residence in the city and kept there until morning.
Even at midnight, large crowds gathered in front of the house to catch a glimpse of their beloved leader. There was no public homage at the residence, party sources said.
His cremation is scheduled to take place at the public crematorium at Valiya Chudukadu in Alappuzha by Wednesday noon, party sources added.
The veteran leader passed away at 3.20 pm on Monday while undergoing treatment in the critical care unit of Pattom SUT Hospital. He had been receiving treatment since 23 June following a cardiac arrest.
A founding member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Achuthanandan was a lifelong champion of workers’ rights, land reforms, and social justice.
He served as Kerala’s Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011 and was elected to the state assembly seven times, serving three terms as Leader of the Opposition. PTI LGK TGB ADB
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