Kerala - Alappuzha   

Back to his Kuttanad roots

Among friends: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan visiting his old comrade P.N. Maniyan (left) at Punnamada in Alappuzha on Friday. KSKTU district secretary D. Lakshmanan is also seen.

ALAPPUZHA: A short journey back to the past was what Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan undertook on Friday as he visited his old comrades at Punnamada.

The visit began at 9.45 a.m. when Mr. Achuthanandan boarded a District Tourism Promotion Council boat from the Alappuzha boat jetty. The first stop was the residence of P. Bhaskaran, former Kannitta Oil Mill Workers Union leader and Mr. Achuthanandan’s colleague during the days when he made Kuttanad his base to strengthen the party’s farm labour union.

A few heart-warming moments as Mr. Bhaskaran welcomed him and then the discussion centred on the present state of affairs of mills and their workers. VS, as Mr. Bhaskaran addressed him, was all attention as the elderly firebrand described his own condition. “Need a walking stick to move around. There are a lot of medicines too,” he said.

The conversation went into the days when farm labourers were scared to attend party meetings. “Even then, the women would be talking about household matters and to catch their attention, a special style of talking was necessary,” Mr. Achuthanandan explained the origin of the prolonged pronunciation and, at times, humorous style of his trademark speeches. “Did you meet Comrade P?” was what P.N. Maniyan, Mr. Achuthanandan’s colleague in the popular struggle of the 70s to regain surplus land for the poor in Kuttanad, asked as Mr. Achuthanandan entered the modest dwelling. Noting Mr. Maniyan adjusting his hearing aid, Mr. Achuthanandan smiled and said: “When we use a bicycle for a long time, certain parts have to be replaced. Such devices will become necessary for the eye too,” he said, pointing at his own spectacles.

“How old are you now?” was his next question. “Seventy-three,” came the reply. “Still young,” was the retort.

A few minutes later, Mr. Achuthanandan visited the nearby Bhagavathi paddy field, where rain had submerged standing crop. Assuring help to the farmers, he returned, a content smile on his face explaining everything.

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