V S Achuthanandan’s Sister Azhikkutty Passes Away

Alappuzha: Azhikkutty (95), sister of former Kerala Chief Minister and veteran CPIM leader V S Achuthanandan, passed away in the early hours of Thursday at her residence in Venthalathara, Paravoor, under the Punnapra North panchayat in Alappuzha.
She had been bedridden for over a year due to age-related ailments and breathed her last at 12.10 a.m. at the same ancestral home where the veteran Communist leader was born.
Twelve years ago, her daughter Suseela had passed away. Since then, her son-in-law Parameswaran and grandson Akhil Vinayak had been taking care of her. Azhikkutty was the only sister among four siblings, including Achuthanandan. Her brothers Gangadharan and Purushan had predeceased her.
The funeral will be held on Thursday at her house premises in Venthalathara.
A Life Bound by Memories of a Revolutionary Brother
Azhikkutty lived her life cherishing the memories of her brother’s political struggles and sacrifices. On festive occasions, including Onam, V S Achuthanandan never missed visiting his sister at their ancestral home. His last visit to see her was in 2019, when he arrived with a Kerala saree as an Onam gift.
Until she became bedridden, Azhikkutty often shared stories of her brother’s revolutionary years with visitors. One of her most vivid recollections was from Achuthanandan’s early political life when he led a protest against the Diwan of Travancore.
“When V.S. was sentenced to one year in prison, he didn’t surrender. He went to Poonjar to organize farmers. One evening, he came to see me. Soon after, the police arrived at our home. We helped him escape by putting him on a boat from the backyard,” she used to recall with emotion.
Later, he was arrested and brutally tortured but never revealed the names of his comrades. When he returned home two years later, bearing the scars of police violence, Azhikkutty had asked him, “Can’t you stop this now?” to which he replied, “You still have two more brothers, don’t you?”
With Azhikkutty’s passing, all of V S Achuthanandan’s siblings have now departed, leaving behind memories of a family closely tied to Kerala’s political journey.