CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury dies at 72
Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) general secretary and former Rajya Sabha MP, died today. He was undergoing treatment at AIIMS in Delhi for an acute respiratory tract infection.
Yechury, 72, was admitted to the Emergency Ward of AIIMS on August 19. He was later shifted to the intensive care unit.
”Sitaram Yechury was the topmost leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), an outstanding leader of the Left movement and a well-known Marxist ideologue,” read a statement by CPI(M) Polit Bureau.
The statement read: “He was a brilliant student who secured a first class in both his undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in economics. He joined the student movement in Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1974 and became a leader of the Students Federation of India. He was thrice elected as President of the JNU Students Union within a span of two years. He was the All India President of the Students Federation of India from 1984 to 1986 and played an important role in developing the student organisation as an all-India force.”
Yechury, who joined the CPI(M) in 1975, was arrested during the emergency for his political activities. He was elected to the Central Committee of the left party in 1985 at the 12th Congress and he remained in the Central Committee till now. He was elected to the CPI(M) Central Secretariat in 1989 and to the Polit Bureau in 1992 at the 14th Congress of the CPI(M).
Yechury was elected as the General Secretary of the CPI(M) at the 21st Congress in 2015, a position he continued until now.
“As part of leadership team at the Party Centre for over three decades, he played an important role in formulating the political positions of the Party from time to time. It was in the field of ideology that Sitaram played a distinctive role. The Party adopted a resolution On Certain Ideological Issues at the 14th Congress, which formulated the ideological positions of the Party consequent to the setbacks to socialism. This resolution was presented by Comrade Sitaram to the Congress. Subsequently, he was the prime mover of the resolution which updated the ideological positions, adopted at the 20th Congress of the Party in 2012,” read the CPI(M)’s homage to Yechury.
As head of the International Department of the left party’s Central Committee, he participated in various international forums of Communist and progressive forces and strengthened relations with socialist countries and solidarity with anti-imperialist movements.
Sitaram Yechury was the Editor of the CPI(M)’s weekly paper, People’s Democracy, for over two decades. He was also a prolific writer. His other main contribution in the ideological field was his critique of Hindutva, which was published in his books – What is this `Hindu Rashtra’? and Communalism vs Secularism.
Yechury was a member of the Rajya Sabha for two terms from 2005 to 2017. He served as the leader of the CPI(M) group and was given the best parliamentarian award in 2017.
The Polit Bureau statement read: “In the recent period, Sitaram Yechury devoted a lot of his time and energy towards forging a broad unity of the secular opposition parties, which took the shape of the INDIA bloc. In both the period of the United Front government and later the UPA government, Sitaram was one of the key interlocutors for the CPI(M), which was supporting these coalitions. Given his amiable temperament, he had a wide circle of friends across the political spectrum and in all walks of life. He was respected by all for his political integrity and commitment.”
“The untimely demise of Sitaram Yechury at this crucial juncture in our national politics is a big blow for the CPI(M) and a grievous loss for the Left, democratic and secular forces,” the left party said.
“The Polit Bureau pays respectful homage to our beloved colleague and dips the red banner in his memory. The Polit Bureau calls upon all Party ranks to unite and work harder to advance the struggle for an exploitation-free society. This is the best tribute that can be paid to him,” it added.
Yechury is survived by his wife veteran journalist and The Wire editor Seema Chishti, his daughter Akhila, son Danish.
Yechury’s body will be brought to the CPI(M) headquarters at A.K. Gopalan Bhavan in Gole Market, New Delhi on Saturday, and the memorial will be held later that day. AIIMS has announced that his family has decided to donate his body for research.
