Have you ever felt like giving up when things get tough? Let us tell you the real-life story of a boy who lost his parents early, stopped school, and worked in a tiny tailoring shop, but grew up to become the Chief Minister of Kerala at the age of 83! His name is Shri V. S. Achuthanandan, and he showed that with courage and honesty, anything is possible
He is one of the most well-known leaders from the state of Kerala, India. He worked for many years to improve the lives of ordinary people. He was known for his honesty, simplicity, and strong voice for justice.
Born in 1923, V. S. Achuthanandan came from a humble background. He lost his parents at a young age and worked in a village tailoring shop. He was brought up by his elder brother, and to help out, he left school. But even though he didn’t attend school for long, Achuthanandan never stopped learning. He loved reading books, newspapers, and understanding the world around him. He taught himself and became wise through his hard work and determination.
As he grew up, he saw how many people, especially farmers, workers, and the poor, were being treated unfairly. So he joined a political party called the Communist Party of India, and later helped form the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He wanted everyone to have fair wages, education, land, and healthcare. He took part in many protests and even went to jail for standing up for people’s rights. But he never gave up.
In 2006, he became the Chief Minister of Kerala. During his time as Chief Minister, he focused on helping the public improve schools, hospitals, and roads. He also supported the IT (Information Technology) sector, which helped create more jobs for young people in Kerala.
One of his most important efforts was his fight against illegal land holding. But what does that mean?
Let’s imagine there’s land that belongs to everyone like a forest, or land meant for building a school or a park. Sometimes, powerful people or companies take that land without permission. They build hotels or private homes on it, even though it’s not legally theirs. That’s called illegal land holding.
Achuthanandan said, “That’s not right!” and worked to get the land back so it could be used for public good, for parks, homes for the poor, or protecting the environment. Many people admired him for this bold and fair action.
Even though he was a top leader, Achuthanandan lived very simply. He wore plain white clothes, used public transport, and never showed off. He always stayed connected to the people, listening to their problems and trying to solve them. He didn’t care about fame or luxury. What mattered to him was doing what was right and fair.
Even after he stepped down as Chief Minister, he continued to speak up for people until he retired from politics in 2018. He lived a long and inspiring life, showing us that kindness, honesty, and hard work are more powerful than money or titles
Shri V. S. Achuthanandan shows us that you can do great things if you care about others, work hard, and stand up for what is right, no matter where you come from. He is an inspiration to all of us to be brave, fair, and never give up on doing good things!
