‘We’ll go with party decision’: VS Achuthanandan’s family puts ball in CPM court on accepting Padma Vibhushan | India News – Knoow.in

2 min readThiruvananthapuramFeb 6, 2026 07:49 AM IST

The son of the late V S Achuthanandan, former Kerala chief minister and CPI(M) stalwart, on Thursday said the family would consult the party before deciding whether to accept the Padma Vibhushan award conferred to him posthumously.

Achuthanandan, who died last year, was conferred the nation’s second-highest civilian honour this year. His son, V A Arun Kumar, told the media that they received an official communication regarding the honour from the Union Home Secretary on Thursday.

“The decision on whether to accept the award or decline it will be taken only after consulting the party. We will go by the party’s decision, whatever it is. There is no ambiguity in this regard,” Arun Kumar said.

Earlier in the day, Kumar said in a Facebook post, “We consider this award an acknowledgement of his public life and contributions. However, the movement he represented has a clear political stance on accepting such official honours. As a Communist, he always clung steadfast to those values and to the party’s decisions. In this matter, too, the family’s decision will stand by our father’s ideals and the party line,” he said.

On the eve of Republic Day, when the Padma awards were announced, Kumar had welcomed the honour to his father, saying, “It is a recognition from the country. It is priceless, and the family takes that honour with great pleasure.”

However, the CPI(M)’s state and central leadership were divided on the issue. Party general secretary M A Baby said, “If Achuthanandan were alive, he would not have accepted this award.”

At the same time, state secretary M V Govindan said the party would stand with Achuthanandan’s family in this matter. “It is not a matter to be decided by the party. His family has welcomed the award. We are wholeheartedly supporting the stance of the family. The party will stand with the decision of VS’s family. In the past, when leaders like EMS (Namboodiripad) and Jyoti Basu had declined Padma awards, it was their own personal decisions,” he said.

Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication’s coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India.

Expertise, Experience, and Authority

Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the “Kerala Model” of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment.

Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes:

Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration.

Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules.

Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. … Read More