Left veteran and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury died on Thursday. He was 72. Yechury was undergoing treatment for respiratory ailments at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
The former Rajya Sabha member was admitted to the emergency ward of AIIMS on August 19 and later shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He was suffering from a pneumonia-like infection, but doctors had not disclosed the exact nature of the ailment. Yechury recently underwent cataract surgery.
A member of the Politburo, CPI(M)’s top decision-making body, for over three decades, Yechury remained in the Upper House from 2005 to 2017. His oratory and debating skills made him one of the most respected voices in Indian politics, even among political opponents. He was known for his humility, personal integrity, and his ability to engage in political discourse without acrimony.
Yechury, an alumnus of St Stephen’s College and Jawaharlal Nehru University, began his political journey with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) before joining the CPI(M) in 1975. He was pursuing a PhD in Economics from JNU when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency. He was arrested along with several others.
After being released, Yechury was elected president of JNU’s Students’ Union thrice in a single year. It was during this period that he first met Prakash Karat, who became a life-long ally.
In 1984, he became the first non-Keralite, non-Bengali president of the Students’ Federation of India. In 1992, Yechury was elected to the Politburo, and four years later, he played a critical role in drafting the Common Minimum Programme for the United Front government. He was also instrumental in shaping the ruling coalition for the UPA government in 2004.
In 2015, Yechury was elected as the general secretary of the CPI(M), the highest post in the party, succeeding Prakash Karat. It was a challenging time for the party, which was on a steady decline, especially after losing power in West Bengal in 2011.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti expressed her condolences. “Shocking. Deepest condolences to his family and loved ones,” she wrote on X.
Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said the CPI(M) leader was a “very fine human being, a multilingual bibliophile, an unrepentant Marxist with a pragmatic streak, a pillar of the CPM, and a superb Parliamentarian with a wonderful wit and sense of humour”.
“Our association stretched over three decades, and we collaborated closely at different occasions. He had friends across the political spectrum and was admired for the strength of his convictions and for his most engaging personality. Salaam Tovarish. You have left us much too early but you enriched public life immeasurably and will not be forgotten,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
Congress leader Pawan Khera said Indian politics shall miss Yechury and the values he lived for.
“A thorough gentleman and a man of unwavering conviction. Travel well #SitaramYechury. Indian politics shall miss you and the values you lived for,” he said.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that the CPI(M) leader’s demise will be a loss for the national politics.
“Sad to know that Sri Sitaram Yechury has passed away. I knew the veteran parliamentarian that he was and his demise will be a loss for the national politics. I express my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues,” she said.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee also posted on X: “Sad to hear about the passing of veteran CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury. While our political ideologies often clashed, I had the privilege of interacting with him during several opposition meetings over the last couple of years. His simplicity, profound understanding of public policy and keen insight into parliamentary affairs were truly remarkable. My thoughts are with his family, friends and all those who admired him. May his soul find peace. Om Shanti!”
