By Emeka Blast 
VS Achuthanandan Defied CPI’s Stance in 1962 War, Faced Repercussions
The recent passing of V.S. Achuthanandan, former Kerala Chief Minister and iconic Communist leader, at age 101 on July 21, 2025, has reignited discussions about his bold defiance during the 1962 Indo-China War, when he challenged the Communist Party of India’s (CPI) controversial stance against supporting Indian soldiers. Achuthanandan, then a 39-year-old Central Committee member, proposed organizing blood donation camps and contributing prison ration savings to aid Indian jawans fighting Chinese forces in the Himalayas, an act deemed “anti-party” by CPI leaders who prioritized ideological loyalty to China over national interest.
In 1962, as India faced a crushing defeat in the Sino-Indian War, the undivided CPI’s support for China led to the imprisonment of many leaders, including Achuthanandan, in Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail. During a jail committee meeting, he suggested donating blood to counter the narrative branding Communists as “Chinese agents.” The proposal was rejected by the committee’s convener, O.J. Joseph, sparking heated clashes. Achuthanandan persisted, raising the idea again, only to face physical altercations and a scuffle that reached party leaders E.M.S. Namboodiripad and Jyoti Basu. The CPI, viewing his actions as aiding the Indian government, demoted him from the Central Committee to the Alappuzha district branch in 1965, following a formal complaint and probe.
Social media, particularly X, has erupted with tributes and debates following Achuthanandan’s death, with posts like @ARanganathan72 stating, “During the 1962 Indo-China war, CPI leaders opposed setting up blood donation camps for Indian soldiers. Comrade VS Achuthanandan defied this traitorous thought not once but twice. He was beaten up, demoted, and later shunted out of the Central Committee. Today you salute him.” Users like @sibacse and @VICKYSI1 echoed this, hailing his nationalism, while @kamalKantmishra criticized the CPI’s “traitorous” stance, reflecting a broader sentiment branding the party’s actions as anti-national.
The CPI’s pro-China position, rooted in ideological alignment with the Chinese Communist Party during the war, led to widespread arrests, with the government jailing leaders for suspected disloyalty. Achuthanandan’s defiance, though punished, cemented his image as a rebel within the CPI, later carried into his role as a founding member of the CPI(M) in 1964. His later career, including his 2006-2011 tenure as Kerala’s Chief Minister, was marked by similar principled stands, earning him mass appeal despite repeated party censures.
