“I was the State party secretary in Kerala for 12 years from 1980, while Basu was West Bengal Chief Minister. I invited him on several occasions to Kerala and he accepted the invitation with warmth and affection. He had great regard for the Left movement in Kerala and admiration for E.M.S. Namboodiripad and the policies adopted by the first Communist government, including, importantly, the land reforms, which he would always mention in his speeches in Kerala.” - V.S. Achuthanandan, Kerala Chief Minister.