"Goodbye Tovarish": Jairam Ramesh Remembers ‘An Unrepentant Marxist’ Sitaram Yechury

Congress General Secretary in charge of communications and Rajya Sabha member, Jairam Ramesh, paid tribute to the late CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury through a series of heartfelt tweets. Reflecting on their long association, Ramesh shared personal memories, praising Yechury’s character and his influence in Indian politics.

In one of his tweets, Ramesh addressed Yechury with the words “Goodbye Tovarish,” a Russian term for comrade, symbolising their close bond and mutual respect. He also posted a historic image of Yechury from his days at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) during the Emergency, where Yechury, then JNU Students Union President, demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as JNU Chancellor following the March 1977 Lok Sabha election results. Indira Gandhi complied with this demand shortly after.

Ramesh further described Yechury as “a very fine human being, a multilingual bibliophile, an unrepentant Marxist with a pragmatic streak, a pillar of the CPI(M), and a superb parliamentarian with a wonderful wit and sense of humour.” He also noted Yechury’s ability to make friends across political lines and his lasting impact on public life.

“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” Ramesh said.

In his final words, Ramesh added, “Salaam Tovarish. You have left us much too early but you enriched public life immeasurably and will not be forgotten.”

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.