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Left Veteran Sitaram Yechury Passes Away at 72 After Battling Respiratory Illness
Veteran Left leader and CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away on Thursday afternoon. He was 72 years old and had been undergoing treatment for respiratory ailments at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Yechury was admitted to the emergency ward of AIIMS on August 19 and later shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He had been suffering from a pneumonia-like infection, though doctors had not disclosed the exact nature of his ailment. Recently, Yechury had undergone cataract surgery.
A member of the Politburo, CPM’s top decision-making body, for over three decades, Yechury served in the Rajya Sabha from 2005 to 2017. He began his political career with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and joined the CPM in 1975.
Yechury was pursuing his doctorate in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) when he was arrested along with many other leaders during the Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government in 1975. His PhD remained incomplete. After his release from jail, he was elected president of the JNU Students’ Union thrice in one year. It was during this time that he met Prakash Karat, who would remain a lifelong comrade.
In 1992, Yechury was elected as a Politburo member. Four years later, he played a key role in drafting the Common Minimum Programme for the United Front government. Yechury also significantly contributed to forging the ruling coalition for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2004.
Throughout his political career, Yechury was known for his strong ideological commitment, sharp intellect, and ability to build consensus across party lines. He was a prominent voice in national politics, advocating for social justice, secularism, and the rights of the working class. His passing is a significant loss for the Left movement in India.
The CPM and the broader Left front have lost a stalwart leader who dedicated his life to upholding the principles of socialism, democracy, and secularism. As India navigates through challenging times, Yechury’s contributions to the country’s political discourse and his unwavering commitment to the cause of the marginalized will be remembered.
