Munnar, Pengal Otrumai fondly remembers V.S. Achuthanandan

Munnar fell silent as former members of Pengal Otrumai – the historic women’s collective of plantation workers – gathered to mourn the passing of their beloved leader, V.S. Achuthanandan. It was his unwavering support that had played a decisive role in the landmark 2015 strike, where thousands of women workers rose against exploitative practices in Kerala’s tea plantations. On Wednesday, July 23, many workers from the tea plantations around the hill station abstained from duty to attend a memorial function held in Munnar town, paying tribute to the leader whose intervention had turned their fight into a globally recognised movement for justice and dignity.

With tears in her eyes, Lizzy Sunny, the leader of Pengal Otrumai, recalled the unforgettable moment she had shared with the leader. “The strike was a turning point for us. We were exhausted, physically and emotionally. Some party leaders came only to claim credit, and we had asked them to leave. But then, VS came. He sat with us in the biting cold, without food or water. It was only because of his intervention that our protest succeeded,” she said.

She noted that while former Munnar MLA and Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader S. Rajendran was protesting elsewhere, VS chose to stand firmly with the workers and never left their side.

“Many of us skipped work on Monday (July 21) to attend the memorial for our leader,” Ms. Lizzy said, her voice breaking. “Our only sorrow now is that there is no one like VS left in Kerala — no one with the courage and compassion to stand with us when it matters the most,” she remembered.

In September, 2015, the women plantation workers under the aegis of Pengal Otrumai had protested, demanding better wages and working conditions for the women employees.

Meanwhile, CP(M) organised an all-party memorial function in Munnar town on Wednesday evening. According to party leaders, members from all political parties and plantation workers attended the memorial function.