The veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and former Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan is scheduled to be cremated with full state honours at his birthplace, Punnapra.
One of India’s respected Communist figures and a key presence in Kerala’s political history, Achuthanandan died on Monday at the age of 101, marking the end of an eight-decade-long political career focused on the working class.
The procession carrying the mortal remains of former Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan reached his hometown, Alappuzha, on Wednesday morning, significantly delayed from its official schedule, as reported by PTI.
A large number of mourners from various sections of society, who gathered to pay their last respects to the Marxist leader, caused delays in the final journey. Achuthanandan had been a consistent advocate for workers' rights throughout his political life.
A large number of mourners filed past his house to pay their respects. Party leaders, members, and the public raised slogans in tribute as the bus arrived, and the first public viewing took place at the house. V.S. Achuthanandan’s only surviving sibling, Azhikutty, is also at the ancestral home to bid him farewell, reported The New Indian Express.
The funeral will be held with full state honours at the Punnapra-Vayalar Martyrs’ Memorial at Valiya Chudukkad. He will be laid to rest near the burial sites of communist leaders P. Krishna Pillai, T.V. Thomas, N. Sreedharan, P.K. Chandranandan, and K.R. Gouri, concluding a procession that has become a public tribute to the former Chief Minister, The Hindu reported.
The Alappuzha district administration has declared a holiday for all government offices and schools, including professional colleges in the district, on Wednesday.
