Thiruvananthapuram: Reacting to the Padma Vibhushan being conferred on V S Achuthanandan, CPM general secretary M A Baby said that had he been alive, he would not have accepted the award. He would have stated that while thanking those who selected him, the party does not follow a practice of accepting such honours, Baby said.

M A Baby pointed out that leaders such as E M S Namboodiripad, Jyoti Basu, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Dr MP Parameswaran had similarly declined awards. Public and political work is meant for the people and not for receiving honours, he said. While expressing happiness at being considered for awards, each of these leaders had clearly stated that, based on party consciousness, they could not accept such recognitions. This, he added, was not so much an official party directive as a decision rooted in their own political convictions.

While welcoming the acknowledgement of VS, Baby said it was for the family to decide whether the award should be accepted. “As VS is no longer alive, it is his family that has responded to the honour. The family has expressed happiness over the recognition,” he said.

Meanwhile, CPM state secretary M V Govindan has welcomed the Padma Vibhushan conferred on VS, stating that earlier instances of CPM leaders declining awards were personal decisions.