Thiruvananthapuram: In a departure from its long-held position on state honours, the CPI(M) Monday welcomed the Padma Vibhushan awarded posthumously to veteran communist leader and former Kerala Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan, saying it shared the happiness of his family. The party said there was no reason to oppose the honour since Achuthanandan’s family had accepted it.
CPI(M) state secretary M. V. Govindan said earlier rejections of these awards by E. M. S. Namboodiripad, Jyoti Basu and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee were personal decisions, which were supported by the party.
On Sunday night, V. S. Achuthanandan’s son Arun Kumar issued a statement on social media expressing happiness over the award.
“Many awards were given by the state for people who have done exemplary work in public service and fields such as art. When asked, EMS, he declined, same with Jyoti Basu and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. As far as VS is concerned, it’s conferred posthumously. VS’s family has accepted it happily. As far as the party is concerned, the concerned authority is the family. They have accepted it happily, which we accept. There is no need for us to take a different stance. We join the family in their happiness,” Govindan told mediapersons Monday.
However, the CPI(M)’s stance marks a deviation from its earlier rejection of similar recognition.
In 2022, former West Bengal Chief Minister and CPI(M) leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had declined the award. The party supported his stand, saying that the party policy is to work for the people and not for awards.
Similarly, in 1992, Kerala’s first Chief Minister E. M. S. Namboodiripad refused the Padma Vibhushan, and in 2008, former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu declined the Bharat Ratna.
In 2022, former Kerala Health Minister K. K. Shylaja too declined the Ramon Magsaysay Award and said she didn’t want to receive the award in her individual capacity, as the party was against the award due to the alleged involvement of the Philippines president in alleged brutality against communists.
Talking to ThePrint, CPI(M) state committee member and the party’s Thiruvananthapuram secretary V. Joy said the state had not been expecting the honour. He alleged that except a few, including Mammootty’s, the awards were given for political gain. However, Joy clarified, there was no need to decline it as it was a posthumous award.
Asked about party leaders rejecting such awards in the past, Joy said they were personal decisions.
“It’s people’s decision. But now, it’s given posthumously. So there is no need to talk about it. If VS was alive, he would have made his statement. There is no need for the party to reject it. If the party had done so, there would have been headlines that said we rejected an honour to a person like VS,” he said. He said the Centre may plan to convert the conferring of the award into a political campaign, but it would not gain from it.
“There is nothing else we can do when an award is given after death. It’s something the Centre did with political intention. We are aware of that. VS is deserving of the award; he was a freedom fighter and led many struggles and grew to become the state’s CM,” he said.
ThePrint reached out to CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam on a telephone call for a comment, but he said he did not wish to comment at this time. CPI is the CPI(M)’s biggest ally of the state.
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Family welcomes award
With assembly elections just months away, seven others from Kerala have been given the Padma awards. Other than Achuthanandan, Justice K. T. Thomas and writer and journalist P. Narayanan were also awarded Padma Vibhushan, while actor Mammootty and SNDP (Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam) chief Vellappally Natesan were awarded Padma Bhushan.
Space scientist A. E. Muthunayagam, classical dancer K. Vimala Menon and environmental conservationist Kollakkaiyil Devaki Amma were given Padma Shri.
A strong supporter of the Left government, Vellappally has been at the centre of controversies in the state for his alleged remarks against the Muslim community. His son Tushar Vellappally is the president of the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a constituent of the NDA.
Soon after the award was announced Sunday, Arun Kumar, Achuthanandan’s son, had issued a Facebook post expressing happiness. He said the greenery of the land and justice for the poor are the greatest awards for Achuthanandan, adding that the award is a great recognition by the nation.
“We view this honour as the love bestowed on him by the people. At the same time, the Padma Vibhushan is indeed a great award as a recognition given by the nation. Our family is deeply happy about this honour. Yet, greater than this award is the love and trust that the ordinary people of Kerala have been giving him for decades. That is my father’s true Padma,” Arun Kumar said.
However, on Monday, Arun Kumar clarified that any recognition and awards conferred upon his father are a reason for happiness for the family, but further things will be discussed with the party.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had Sunday welcomed the award given to actor Mammootty, but was silent on Achuthanandan. Speaking at the State Film Awards ceremony, where Mammootty was awarded in the Best Actor category, Vijayan said, “For several years, our Cabinet had consistently recommended Mammootty for the honour. Everything has its own time, and the fact that it has finally been conferred now is deeply gratifying. We can wholeheartedly congratulate him.”
Talking to ThePrint, state-based political analyst Joseph C. Mathew said, “We can only assume, but I feel VS would have declined if he was alive. That’s what I think. The party might have taken its stance as his family has accepted it,” Mathew said, adding that the awards to Achuthanandan and Vellappally can be interpreted as a means to political gains ahead of Assembly polls.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)