Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 12: Veteran Left leader and CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, a former member of the Rajya Sabha, passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi on Thursday, after brief illness. He was 72.
Mr Yechury is survived by his wife and senior journalist Seema Chishti, daughter Akhila and son Daanish. His 34-year-old son, Ashish Yechury, had died of Covid in 2021.
Mr Yechury was admitted in the AIIMS on August 19 for treatment of pneumonia-like chest infection. He was admitted in the emergency ward of AIIMS on August 19 and later shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and was being treated by a multi-disciplinary team of doctors.
The AIIMS said in a statement that Mr Yechury died at 3.05 pm on Thursday. Keeping with the leftist tradition, the family has donated his body to AIIMS for teaching and research purposes. His body will be at AIIMS for two days now and then shifted to AKG Bhavan, the CPM headquarters, so that his admirers and comrades can pay their respects. Later, the body will be shifted to AIIMS again.
A member of CPM’s top decision-making body Politburo for over three decades, Mr Yechury was a Rajya Sabha MP from 2005 to 2017. His last appearance was in the form of a video recorded from the hospital where he paid tribute to fellow comrade and former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who passed away last month. Mr Yechury couldn’t take part in the funeral.
He released a six-minute video from the hospital on August 22 on his social media accounts paying condolence to Mr Bhattacharjee. “It’s my loss that I was not able to physically attend this memorial meeting and pay my homage to Com Buddhadev Bhattacharya,” he wrote on X.
Mr Yechury has been CPI(M)‘s general secretary since 2015 and was re-elected twice in 2018 and 2022. He has been a member of the party’s Polit Bureau for over three decades. His entry into CPI(M) was natural after his association with the CPI(M)‘s student wing Student Federation of India (SFI). He made a name for himself as JNU students’ union president for forcing Indira Gandhi to resign as the chancellor. He became the national president of the organisation and was later invited to the Central Committee of the CPI(M) in 1984 and was made a member of it in the 12th Party Congress of the CPI(M) held in Kolkata in 1985.
An alumnus of Delhi’s St Stephen’s College and Jawaharlal Nehru University, Mr Yechury started his political career with the Students’ Federation of India and joined the CPIM in 1975. He was pursuing his doctorate in Economics from JNU when the Indira Gandhi government imposed the Emergency in 1975 and he was arrested along with many other leaders who would later play a key role in national politics. His PhD remained incomplete.
Mr Yechury was elected president of the JNU Student’s Union thrice in a year after he was out of jail. It was during this time that he also met Prakash Karat, who would remain a lifelong comrade.
In 1992, he was elected as a Politburo member. Four years later, he was among the leaders who played a key role in drafting a Common Minimum Programme for the United Front government. Mr Yechury also played a significant role in forging of the ruling coalition for the UPA government in 2004. The veteran leader had good relations with politicians cutting across party lines, making him one of the key leaders instrumental in forging alliances.
An ardent advocate of coalition politics, Mr Yechury quoted Leon Trotsky’s words “march separately but strike together” to underline the importance of a united Opposition to counter the ruling forces. He worked on the common minimum programme for the United Front government in 1996 and for the UPA Governments in 2004 and 2009. And he was also a key agent in bringing the Opposition parties closed ahead of 2019 General Elections and formation of INDIA bloc in 2023.
A two-time Rajya Sabha member, Mr Yechury will be remembered for moving a motion against President Pranab Mukherjee’s address in 2015, which was passed by the Upper House, causing a major embarrassment to the ruling Narendra Modi Government. Only four times in the history of the Rajya Sabha that an Opposition-moved amendment had been passed.
The CPM said in a post on X, “Our beloved comrade #SitaramYechury, General Secretary of CPI(M), passed away at AIIMS today. Red Salute to Comrade Sitaram Yechury!”
Expressing his condolences, Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, described him as a “friend” and a “protector of the Idea of India.” “Sitaram Yechury ji was a friend. A protector of the Idea of India with a deep understanding of our country. I will miss the long discussions we used to have. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and followers in this hour of grief.”
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said he was “deeply saddened” by the passing of Sitaram Yechury. “His contributions to public life will always be remembered. Heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time. Om Shanti,” Mr Gadkari said in a post on X.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was pained by Mr Yechury’s death. “Pained by the passing away of CPI(M) General Secretary and former Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sitaram Yechury. In his long years in public life, he distinguished himself as a seasoned parliamentarian who was known for his knowledge and articulation. He was also my friend with whom I had several interactions. I will always recall my interactions with him. Condolences to his bereaved family and supporters. Om Shanti!” Mr Singh said in a post on X.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also expressed her condolences. “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 in a post on X.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the passing of Mr Yechury is very saddening. “May God grant peace to his soul and give his family members strength to bear this grief,” he said in a post on X.
