Desabhimani is a Malayalam newspaper and the organ of the Kerala State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Started as a weekly in Kozhikode on September 6, 1942 and converted to a daily in 1946. Deshabhimani now has nine different printing centres: Kozhikode, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur, Kottayam, Trichur,Malappuram, Banglore and Bahrin. According to the National Readership Survey of 1995, Desabhimani was the third largest newspaper in Kerala.^[1] At present, V. V. Dakshinamoorthi, secretariat member of the CPI(M) is the Chief Editor of the paper and E.P. Jayarajan, CPI(M) central committee member, the General Manager.

History[link]

Deshabhimani has a predecessor, Prabhatham (which means 'Dawn'). It was started in 1935 and was the manifesto of the socialist group in the Indian National Congress. It was in 1942, through the efforts of eminent leaders like A K Gopalan and E M S Namboodiripad(who in fact donated all of his ancestral property for raising funds for the paper) Deshabhimani started and became the voice of the Communist Party of India (later became Communist Party of India (Marxist)). Various personalities like E.M.S. Namboodiripad, V T Induchudan, K P R Gopalan and V. S. Achuthanandan, have served as the chief editors of Deshabhimani. So many notable Journalists of South India work with Deshabhimani. Journalists who have worked with Deshabhimani include P Govindapillai, Ezhacheri Ramachandran, Prabha Varma, K.R. Ajayan, P.M. Manoj, A.V. Anilkumar, B.Aburaj and Sunil P. Elayidom.

Supplements[link]

• Deshabhimani Varanthappathippu
• Aksharamuttam
• Sthree
• Kilivaathil

Publications[link]

• Deshabhimani Varika (Weekly)

• Thathamma (Children's Publication)

External links[link]

• Desabhimani online edition

References[link]

This article may be confusing or unclear to readers. Please help clarify the article; suggestions may be found on the talk page. (August 2011)

V.S. Achuthanandan
V.S. Achuthanandan speaking in a public meeting in 2008.
Leader of the Opposition
Constituency	Malampuzha
Personal details
Born	(1923-10-20) 20 October 1923 (age 88) Alappuzha, Travancore
Political party	Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Spouse(s)	K. Vasumathy (Married 18 July 1967)
Children	V. A. Arunkumar Dr. V. V. Asha
Religion	Atheist

Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan (Malayalam: വേലിക്കകത്ത് ശങ്കരന്‍ അച്യുതാനന്ദന്‍; born 20 October 1923) is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of the state of Kerala. He had been a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) since 1985, and until July 2009, when he was reverted to the Central Committee of the party owing to his ideological dispositions.^[1]

Achuthanandan was one of the founding leaders of the CPI (M) in India, and has played a major role in building the party cadre in the state of Kerala.^[2]

Achuthanandan was widely acclaimed for the various actions that he initiated as the Chief Minister including: the demolition drive in Munnar which claimed back acres of illegally occupied land,^[3] the demolition drive in Kochi M. G. Road which claimed back the long lost shoulder of the road, anti-piracy drive against film-piracy, his struggle against the Lottery mafia in the state. In his struggle against corruption, he was instrumental in convicting former minister R. Balakrishna Pillai on charges of corruption.^[4][5] Achuthanandan also took the lead in promoting Free Software in the state, and especially in adopting free software in the public education system of the state.^[6]

Early life[link]

Born on 20 October 1923 to Sankaran and Accamma in Alappuzha district of Kerala state, Achuthanandan had to face many hurdles from a very early age. He was born into an Ezhava family. He lost his mother when he was four years old and subsequently lost his father at age 11. This forced him to quit his studies after finishing 8th standard in school. He started working by helping his elder brother in a village tailoring shop. Later he took up the job of meshing coir to make ropes at a coir factory.^[7][8]

Political life[link]

He entered politics through trade union activities and joined State Congress in 1938. In 1940, he became a member of the Communist Party of India (CPI). During his 40 years as a politician he was imprisoned for five years and six months and was in hiding for four and half years. He was a state secretariat member of the CPI in 1957. During the Sino-Indian war in 1962, he was with the nationalists in the party, supporting Indian side. EMS announced in Thalassery that disciplinary action is taken against V.S Achuthanandan along with O.V.Joseph (secretariat members) who were involved in factional activities. He was demoted in the party rank when he participated in a blood donation camp to help Indian soldiers.^[9] He is the only living Keralite among the 32 members who left the CPI National Council in 1964 to form the CPI(M). He was Secretary of the Kerala State Committee between 1980 and 1992. Since 1985 he is the member of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau until he was removed as a party disciplinary action. He is the senior most leader of CPI(M) in Kerala.

Suspension[link]

On 26 May 2007, the CPI(M) along with Pinarayi Vijayan, state secretary of CPI(M), from the Politburo for their public remarks on each other. The central committee has approved the Politburo's decision to suspend them. Later the central committee revoked the suspension of VS. Further, on 11 July 9, he was removed from Politburo as a corrective measure against his public speeches considered to be against the party line that Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan is innocent in SNC Lavalin corruption case, which the party saw as disobedience to the party. He was allowed to continue to serve as Chief Minister.^[10][11]

Leadership[link]

Achuthanandan has served many positions in his long political career. He was the Kerala State Secretary of the CPI(M) between 1980 and 1992 and he became a member of the Politburo in 1985. He has also been active in parliamentary politics; he was elected as a member of Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1967, 1970, 1991, 2001 and 2006. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 1992 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2006. He was the editor of CPI(M) mouth piece in Malayalam, Deshabhimani daily.

2006 Assembly Elections/Removal from PB in July 2009[link]

During the assembly elections held in Kerala in April–May 2006, VS Achuthanandan defeated Satheesan Pacheeni of the United Democratic Front by a margin of 20,017 votes in Malampuzha constituency in Palakkad district.On 12 July the CPM Polit bureau and Central Committee removed him from the PB for his stands taken in relation to the accusation and legal procedures against Pinarayi Vijayan in his reported involvement in the Lavlin bribery.

2011 Assembly election[link]

Denial of seat[link]

The CPI(M) denied seat to Achuthanandan, for the 2011 assembly election. Protests took place across the state and even on social networking sites such as Twitter, facebook and via SMS.^[12]

In what can be considered as a near repeat of the 2006 pre-election build-up, the Politbureau of CPI-M impressed upon the state leadership to permit VS Achuthanandan to contest elections for the April 2011 Assembly election in Kerala^[13] VS Achuthanandan contested from the Malampuzha Constituency and won with a margin of around 25K votes. It was the VS factor that had created history in the 2011 elections with the Opposition front UDF winning the elections on the margin of 72–68 assembly seats. This is considered as loss for UDF as they had victory in 100 constituencies during the 2009 Lok Sabha Election. After this election VS has been considered the man behind the Uprising of LDF after the 2009 Parliament and 2010 Municipal election loses.^[14]

The elections[link]

After decades of a consistent pattern of swing between two coalition in the state elections, where people voted against the incumbent government consistently, Achuthanandan boast of a government with a no anti-incumbency factor ending in a 68–72 tally in the 140 seat state Assembly elections.

Major achievements[link]

• Initiated action against encroachment on government land in the hill resort and tea plantation town of Munnar.^[15][16]
• On 30 December 2007, he became the first Communist CM to trail to the 4000-year-old hill temple of Sabarimala. The 84-year-old Achuthanandan rejected any sort of physical or medical support as he worried doctors^[17]
• V S Achuthanandan supports free and open source software movement in the state and Richard Stallman has also supported his activities regarding this.^[18]

Issues[link]

Controversies[link]

• During the 2006 Assembly Elections, the party had to revert its decision of not to field Achuthanandan as a candidate. This was in reaction to organised protest marches by CPI(M) sympathisers across the state.

• He initiated the Munnar eviction mission. Massive portions of land allegedly grabbed over the years by resort owners and multinational companies like Tata Tea Limited. Later, the demolition team landed in the city of Kochi, and other cities in Kerala and recovered huge parts of land and subsequently. Unfortunately, the mission had failed and even the team which led it was orphaned. The District Collector, Inspector General of Police and the Person in charge had been replaced. As the opponents’ claim, this may cause to have lost some credibility of the government. Meanwhile, Achuthanandan said that the Munnar mission would continue vigorously and extended to other areas^[19][20][21]

• Being the chief minister of the state, he has to frequently face struggle with Pinarayi Vijayan, the powerful head of the party which leads the ruling coalition. Both of them are heading for showdowns, which often lacking Achuthanandan to take strong decisions. This power struggle often turned worse as both attacking each other. As a result, this group fights created two set of party leaders and even the ministers in the government, the name called VS groups and Pinarayi groups.^[22][23]

• In a statement he called M.A. Pharis, a businessman in Kerala as a ‘hated man’ as the latter’s alleged involvement with the kidney racket in Singapore.

• During the CPM state conference held in Kottayam, he has been criticized strongly due to his style of functioning by a majority of Pinarayi Vijayan supporters (38/53) known as official faction and they demanded his ouster from Chief Minister. They warned that the party would lose seats if it goes for ahead parliamentary elections under his leadership.^[24][25]

• Achuthanandan was criticized for his allegedly insensitive comments in response to the abusive language used by slain NSG commando Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's father. Chief Minister was criticized for his delay in condoling the family. When the Chief Minister visited the family of slain soldier against the wishes of Sandeep's father, he shouted at Achuthanandan and abused him on live television, stating "no dog should enter my house", and asked him to leave. Later, to the question from media persons: "How would you react to Sandeep Unnikrishnan's father's statement?" he replied "If Sandeep were not an army person who sacrificed for a nation's cause, not even a dog would enter. Would they? A father of such a distinguished army man should be aware of it . Is there any rule that both the Karnataka Chief Minister and Kerala Chief Minister should go together to his (Sandeep's) home? If not for Sandeep's house, not even a dog would have gone there."(translated to English from his reply in Malayalam).^[26][27][28]

Criticism[link]

The crop destruction drive[link]

The anti-reclamation stir launched by the Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union (KSKTU) at Mankompu in 1996–97, under the leadership of Achuthanandan created much controversy. This stir was claimed to be highlighting the serious problem of the massive conversion of paddy fields into other type of land, affecting the food security of the Kerala. But this soon developed into a crop destruction drive. The protest got the sobriquet following the violent methods and crop destruction resorted to by the KSKTU cadre. The stir attracted lot of public attention and Achuthanandan was forced to express his disapproval of any destruction of crops. 15 Years later, in November 2011, a UDF Minister, who is politically opposed to Achuthanadan, justified this struggle.^[29] JanataDal Socialist leader and minister for Agriculture, K.P. Mohananan, said, such a struggle was necessary as Conversion of Paddy fields to other type of crops is a serious concern.

Allegations of misuse Of power[link]

V. A. Arun Kumar, son of V. S. Achuthanandan, was appointed as Additional Director for the Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD), a state owned organization controlling a handful of state owned engineering colleges, technical schools and other institutions. This appointment is alleged to be irregular.^{[30][31][32][33]} The post in question is equivalent to that of a Pro-Vice-Cancellor for an institution that controls several state owned Engineering colleges. And hence the post should be filled by a person possessing at least a PhD and Masters in Engineering while the appointed V. A. Arun Kumar possesses only an undergraduate degree and that too in a non-science faculty. It is been alleged that changes were made in the notification for appointing Mr. Arun Kumar and the existing qualifications of additional director were amended to enable V. A. Arun Kumar to apply for the post.^[30] This issue in now facing a Lokayuktha enquiry as well as a Vigilance^[34][35] enquiry. Also his son was nominated for the post of the director of ICST which is now facing a Assembly Committee enquiry. He is facing yet another Lokayuktha enquiry regarding allegations related to the Model Finishing School of (IHRD).^[36]

In popular culture[link]

• In the Malayalam film 15 August, the character of Chief Minister of Kerala played by actor Nedumudi Venu was inspired by the political life of V. S. Achuthanandan.

• Thilakan portrayed the role of Chief Minister, which had close resemblance with V.S.Achuthanandan, in the film Ayudham

See also[link]

• List of Chief Ministers of Kerala

References[link]

• The official website of the Chief Minister of Kerala

Further read[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: V. S. Achuthanandan

• Indianetzone news about V S Achuthanandan
• Financial Express news, Kerala takes the fizz out of Coke & Pepsi
• Tehelka News
• comradevs.com, A webpage designed for V S Achuthanandan
• An interview with VS Tehelka
• Has the son put the father In the dock? From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 8, Issue 11, Dated 19 Mar 2011

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2011)

M. A. Baby
Born	(1954-04-05) April 5, 1954 (age 58) Prakkulam, Kollam
Nationality	Indian
Citizenship	Indian
Occupation	Education and Cultural Affairs Minister of Kerala State and Polit Bureau Member of Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Home town	Kollam
Political party	Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Religion	Atheist, Born as Christian-Roman Catholic Latin
Spouse	Betty Louis
Children	Ashok Betty Nelson

M. A. Baby (Mariam Alexander Baby) is an Indian politician. He is the former Education Minister^[1] of Kerala State. He is also a Polit Bureau Member of Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Early life[link]

Son of Shri. P.M. Alexander and Smt. Lilly Alexander, born on April 5, 1954, completed BA degree course in Political Science. Baby could not write the final year examination, and during emergency after having been arrested under DIR and jailed, he abandoned formal education. Baby entered in politics through Kerala Students Federation, the predecessor of Student Federation of India, while Studying at NSS high school Prakkulam. Held many responsible positions in Student Federation of India, Democratic Youth Federation of India, and CPI (M). Imprisoned and tortured during Emergency. Elected to Rajysabha at the age of 32 and became one of the youngest members of Rajya Sabha.

Career[link]

As Minister of Education in the V. S. Achuthanandan ministry (2006-'11), be brought in drastic changes in the education sector in Kerala. His most noteworthy reforms were aimed at making the teaching-learning process more balanced. He implemented the single window admission processing for higher secondary education. Despite the opposition of private managements controlled by caste and religious factions, the implementation of single window admission brought in much needed professionalism and discipline in the admission process in higher secondary education in Kerala. Another notable change was the implementation of grading system in high schools.
This helped bringing transparency in grading the students with internal assessments and other allied evaluation methods. He was the inspiration behind implementing new Physical Education syllabus for schools in Kerala state. A sportsman and ardent sport fan, Mr. Baby also provided much needed impetus to the Kerala school sports by revising the competition manual and providing a hike in prize money to the winning athletes. He also prompted the revision of the competition manual for kearala school arts festival.

Recently he announced that marks for higher secondary examination would be taken into consideration for the admission to the professional colleges in Kerala. However there have been a lot opposition to his work which was mostly from teachers organisations and student organisations supported by opposition parties. They raised allegations against some of his reforms. The private managements also were against him. There have also been allegations raised against promotion of unqualified teachers to the post of principals in IHRDs. He was also generally criticised for allocation of private schools quoting the educational backwardness of the Malabar region of the state.He believed to be close friend of Mr.Jerson John

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: M.A. Baby

C. K. Chandrappan
C. K. Chandrappan
Personal details
Born	(1935-11-10)10 November 1935 Alappuzha, Kerala
Died	22 March 2012(2012-03-22) (aged 76) Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Political party	CPI
Spouse(s)	Bulu Roy Chowdhary
Residence	Thiruvananthapuram

C. K. Chandrappan(Malayalam: സി.കെ. ചന്ദ്രപ്പന്‍) (10 November 1935 – 22 March 2012) was a leftist politician from Kerala, india. He was the Kerala state secretary^[1] of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the president of Kisan Sabha at the time of his death. He was a member of the Lok Sabha of India representing the Cannanore (Lok Sabha constituency) from 1977 to 1980 and Thrissur (Lok Sabha constituency) from 2004 to 2010. Chandrappan served as Member of the Legislative Assembly of Kerala from 1991 to 1996 representing the Chertala Assembly Constituency.He was educated at University College, Thiruvananthapuram and became a Social Worker.

Early life[link]

Born on 10 november 1935 to C.K. Kumara Panicker and Ammukkutty in Muhamma, Alappuzha district of Kerala state. He was the 3rd son of the couple. His father, C.K. Kumara Panicker, was a famous leader of CPI and was known as Vayalar Stalin. Panicker was one of the frontline fighters in the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising. Chandrappan passed MA from University College, Thiruvananthapuram.

Political life[link]

Chandrappan started his political life when he was a student. He was an active member of leftist youth federations in the 1970s. He took part in the Goa liberation movement and was jailed as a political prisoner on various occasions in Delhi, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram. He won 3 times in Loka Sabha Elections 1971(Thalassery),1977(Kannur) and 2004(Thrissur). In 1987 Vayalar Ravi defeated Chandrappan in Cherthala assembly constituency. In 1991 He defeated Vayalar Ravi. After that in 1996 A. K. Antony defeated Chandrappan. He was the national president of All India Youth Federation(AIYF) and All India Students Federation(AISF). Also he was the Chairman of KTDC and Managing Director of Prabhath Book House.

In 2010 november, he took over as Communist Party of India(CPI) State secretary from Veliyam Bhargavan. At that time he was the national president of Kisan Sabha and member of CPI national secretariat. In 2012 february 11 he was elected as state secretary at the state party congress held at Kollam. C. K. Chandrappan, the former CPI MP from Trichur, was adjudged the top performer by the National Social Watch, an NGO. However he could not be re-elected to the 15th Lok Sabha.

O. N. V. Kurup and C. K. Chandrappan in CPI State meeting at Kollam on 2012

Personal life[link]

Chandrappan was married to Bulu Roy Chodhary on 28 October 1978, a political activist from West Bengal. The couple have no children. His mother Ammukkutty belongs to the Cheerappanchira family mentioned in the tales of Sabarimala Ayyappan. Incidentally Chandrappan is the cousin of Susheela Gopalan who is also from the Cheerappanchira family.

Death[link]

C. K. Chandrappan died in Thiruvananthapuram on 22 March 2012 at the age of 76, due to cancer.^[2]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: C. K. Chandrappan

• Members of Fourteenth Lok Sabha - Parliament of India website

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