Sitaram Yechury Passes Away: Lal Saalam to Veteran Leftist

Veteran politician and CPM National Secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away. He breathed his last on September 12, 2024. He was suffering from lungs infection and breathing related ailment and was getting medical treatment at AIIMS, Delhi.

Sitaram Yechury was born on August 12, 1952 in Chennai. He studied in Hyderabad. He joined active politics in 1975. He took CPM membership in 1975. 

Sitaram Yechury was elected to Rajya Sabha from West Bengal.

Sitaram Yechury’s journey from a student leader to the General Secretary of CPI(M) is marked by his commitment to secularism, democracy, and the rights of the common people. His role in Indian politics continues to be influential, whether through his leadership, writings, or coalition-building efforts. As a leader who consistently stands for justice and equity, Yechury remains a significant figure in Indian leftist politics.

Sitaram Yechury: A Prominent Leader of CPI(M)

Sitaram Yechury is a distinguished Indian politician who played crucial role as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) aka CPI(M). A member of the CPI(M) Politburo since 1992, Yechury has played a crucial role in shaping the political landscape of India through his leadership, writings, and political strategies. He was also a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, representing West Bengal from 2005 to 2017. This article delves into his early life, political career, and significant contributions to Indian politics.

Family and Early Life

Sitaram Yechury was born on August 12, 1952, into a Telugu-speaking family in Madras (now Chennai). His father, Sarveswara Somayajula Yechury, was an engineer with the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, and his mother, Kalpakam Yechury, was a government officer. Although originally from Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, Yechury's upbringing took place in Hyderabad.

He completed his schooling at All Saints High School in Hyderabad until his tenth standard. The Telangana agitation of 1969 led him to move to Delhi, where he continued his studies at Presidents Estate School. Yechury excelled academically, achieving the All-India first rank in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Higher Secondary Examination. He pursued a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Economics at St. Stephen's College, Delhi, followed by a Master’s degree in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), securing first-class results in both. Although he joined JNU for a Ph.D. in Economics, his academic journey was interrupted by his arrest during The Emergency.

Entry into Politics and Rise in CPI(M)

Yechury’s political career began when he joined the Students' Federation of India (SFI) in 1974, and a year later, he became a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). His active involvement in politics intensified during The Emergency (1975-1977) when he went underground to organize resistance. After the Emergency, Yechury was elected as the President of the JNU Students' Union three times within one year (1977-78), solidifying his leadership in leftist politics.

In 1978, Yechury was elected as the All-India Joint Secretary of SFI and later became the All India President of SFI. Notably, he was the first SFI President who was not from Kerala or Bengal. In 1984, he joined the Central Committee of the CPI(M), and a year later, he became part of a five-man central secretariat. In 1992, he was elected to the Politburo at the Fourteenth Congress, and by 2015, he had risen to become the General Secretary of the CPI(M). He has been re-elected twice since then, demonstrating his pivotal role within the party.

Leadership and Coalition Building

Yechury is widely recognized for his skills in coalition-building, following in the footsteps of former General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet. He was instrumental in drafting the Common Minimum Programme for the United Front government in 1996, alongside P. Chidambaram, and played a key role in forming the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2004. Throughout his political career, Yechury has been committed to building a secular democratic government that upholds fundamental rights and "Unity in Diversity."

Yechury has also headed the party's international department and frequently represented the CPI(M) as a fraternal delegate at party conferences of socialist countries. A prolific writer, he has authored numerous books and regularly contributes a column titled "Left Hand Drive" for the Hindustan Times. Additionally, he has edited the CPI(M) fortnightly newspaper, People's Democracy, for over two decades.

Role in Rajya Sabha

Yechury served as a Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal from 2005 to 2017. Known for his oratory skills and sharp parliamentary interventions, he frequently brought significant issues to the fore in the Rajya Sabha. He was critical of the government's handling of parliamentary proceedings, emphasizing that disruptions were a legitimate democratic process. His most notable parliamentary moment came in 2015 when he moved an amendment to President Pranab Mukherjee's address during a budget session, which passed and embarrassed the ruling government.

During the negotiations for the Indo-US Nuclear Pact, Yechury was vocal about the conditions the CPI(M) required for the agreement. Despite his efforts, he was overruled by his party on the grounds that the pact violated their stance on an "independent foreign policy."