"Has anyone died as a result of the use of Endosulfan pesticide in Kasaragod?" was the question posed by the media to Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan or simply VS during his tenure as Kerala Chief Minister. The communist stalwart who turned 100 on Friday responded to the question by simply replying "No." He was repeating the answer written down by the then Agriculture Minister. When questioned by the media during his early tenure in the CM's office, he was unaware of the extensive damage caused by the use of endosulfan in agricultural areas within the community.

The following week, however, Mathrubhumi Weekly released a lengthy feature article on Endosulfan patients, titled 'Achuthanandanariyamoo...?' (Does Achuthanandan have any idea?). The weekly cover featured an image of a severely ailing child. After reading the article, Achuthanandan remained silent for some time. Later, he directed to call M.A. Rahman who wrote the article. He spoke with him and learned about the events happening in Kasaragod. 

The Mathrubhumi cover story painted a clear picture of the Endosulfan sufferers. As a result, VS summoned the Agriculture Minister to his office. The notes for VS's news briefing were solely shared with him based on information provided by agriculture department officials. The environmentalist in Kasaragod later spent several hours with VS explaining the plight of Endosulfan victims. VS was likewise moved by the images captured by Madhuraj, the Mathrubhumi photographer. VS later visited Kasaragod to assess the situation in person. 

The same veteran Communist championed the Endosulfan protest in Kasaragod and announced the relief package for the victims.