The Red Legacy shines despite his age-related ailments

​Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan or simply 'VS', the political stalwart of Kerala, turns 100 on Friday. Away from the public eye, the former Chief Minister of Kerala will celebrate his birthday with family members at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram. Despite his age-related ailments, he continues as an omnipresent figure in the hearts of people and a familiar face for Malayalis born in the last five decades. 

Interestingly, he became the Chief Minister of Kerala at a ripe age of 84, 67 years after joining the communist party as a member. For him, age is just a number, and when he says that, one can see the everlasting fire in his eyes and his willingness to offer more to the public as their leader.

Last year, the family celebrated his birthday as he entered the centenary club. His son V.A. Arun Kumar shared the photo of the birthday celebration. VS's wife Vasumathi also told Mathrubhumi last year that VS' health was "fine" and he still understands everything despite having difficulty speaking. He watches television, and the relatives read him the newspaper, she added. Meanwhile, only relatives attended the celebrations last year. VS is seen wearing a white kurta and his hallmark black frame glasses while leaning back in his chair, in the photos shared on Facebook. 

Meanwhile, the preceding years have proven to be rather unkind to VS due to his hospitalization following the contraction of COVID-19. Nonetheless, he eventually returned to his residence after successfully recuperating, yet chose to maintain a distance from the media and the general public. 

The Alappuzha-born leader is the only living Keralite among the 32 members who left the CPI National Council in 1964 to form the CPM. 

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