Veteran CPI (M) Leader Sitaram Yechury Dies After Prolonged Illness

Veteran CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury passed away on Thursday at 72 due to a prolonged illness. The veteran leader took his last breath at the ICU in AIIMS, Delhi. Leaders across party lines expressed grief over Yechury's demise.

New Delhi: CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here on Thursday after a prolonged illness, the hospital said.

The veteran leader had been in a critical condition for the last few days and was on respiratory support. "Sitaram Yechury, aged 72, was admitted to AIIMS on 19th August 2024 with pneumonia and passed away on 12th September 2024 at 3.05 PM. The family donated his body to AIIMS, New Delhi for teaching and research purposes," AIIMS, New Delhi said in a media statement.

His party had said in a statement on Tuesday that the 72-year-old leader was being treated for an acute respiratory tract infection at the ICU in AIIMS, New Delhi. Yechury was admitted to AIIMS on August 19 for treatment of a pneumonia-like chest infection.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled Yechury's demise and described the leader as an effective Parliamentarian. "Saddened by the passing away of Sitaram Yechuri Ji. He was a leading light of the Left and was known for his ability to connect across the political spectrum. He also made a mark as an effective Parliamentarian. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this sad hour. Om Shanti," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X.

He is recognised for upholding the coalition-building legacy of former general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet. Yechury always emphasised the need to protect the pluralistic fabric of the country, saying it can never remain together if uniformity is imposed on diversity.

Yechury was close to party ideologue Makineni Basavapunnaiah and was groomed as the party's public face. He played a key role during the United Front government and UPA-1 regime and was instrumental, along with former Union Minister P. Chidambaram, in drafting the 'Common Minimum Programme' in 1996 for the United Front government.

He also played a significant part in building a coalition process to be a part of the UPA government in 2004.

Leaders cutting across party lines expressed grief over Yechury's demise. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi described Yechury as a friend.

Rahul posted on X, "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."

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said Yechury's demise was a profound loss for everyone. "The passing away of Sitaram Yechury is a profound loss for all of us. His years of service and devotion to our country is worthy of the greatest respect. Most of all, he was an inherently decent human being who brought a sense of balance and gentleness to the harsh world of politics. May his soul rest in peace and may his loved ones find the strength and courage to face this tragedy," Priyanka said.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh too condoled Yechury's demise saying he was a fine human being. In an elaborate post on X, Ramesh, who is a Rajya Sabha member, said, "Sitaram Yechury - a very fine human being, a multilingual bibliophile, an unrepentant Marxist with a pragmatic streak, a pillar of the CPM, and a superb Parliamentarian with a wonderful wit and sense of humour - is most sadly no more."

"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. Salaam Tovarish. You have left us much too early but you enriched public life immeasurably and will not be forgotten," added Ramesh.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Yechury's demise is a loss for national politics. "Sad to know that Sitaram Yechury has passed away. I knew the veteran parliamentarian that he was and his demise will be a loss for national politics. I express my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues," Banerjee said in a post on X.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also expressed grief over Yechury's demise.

Yechury was born on August 12, 1952, in Chennai. He grew up in Hyderabad and studied at All Saints High School till tenth standard (Class 10). His father, Sarveswara Somayajula Yechury, was an Andhra Pradesh State Road Corporation engineer and his mother, Kalpakam Yechury, was a government officer.

Yechury shifted to Delhi after the Telangana agitation of 1969, from where he completed his higher studies. He was influenced by the Communist movement in his school days.

He joined Presidents Estate School in Delhi and achieved the All-India first rank in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Higher Secondary Examination. At Delhi, in 1970 he completed Higher Secondary (one Year Course).

In 1973, he completed B.A.(Hons) in Economics, first class, from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University and the following year, joined the Students' Federation of India (SFI)

He joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI (M)). In 1975, he completed his M.A., first class, in Economics, from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi. Subsequently, he joined JNU for a Ph.D. degree which he could not complete due to his arrest during Emergency.

Yechury was also a sportsperson in his college and loved to play lawn tennis.

In 1977-78, he went underground for a brief time. After the Emergency, he was elected as President of JNU Students’ Union thrice during one year (1977-78). He, along with Prakash Karat, was responsible for turning JNU into a Left bastion.

Yechury was elected as the General Secretary of the SFI and later was appointed as its President in 1978. In the 1980s, he was the Editor of Student Struggle from 1980 to 1986. He was elected as President of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) at the Dum Dum Conference in 1984, and relieved from the movement at the Vijayawada Conference of the SFI in 1986. In 1984, he was elected to the Central Committee of the CPI(M) and soon he became a full-timer in the organisation.

He was elected to the Central Committee in the CPI(M) XII Congress in 1985 and in 1988, he was elected to the Central Secretariat at the XIII Congress in 1988. At the 14th Congress of the CPI-M, Sitaram Yechury was elected as the party politburo in 1992. He was first elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal in 2005.

On April 19, 2015, Yechury was unanimously elected as the fifth General Secretary of the Communist Party of India - Marxist at the 21st Party Congress held in Visakhapatnam. He succeeded Prakash Karat. In April 2018, he was re-elected as the General Secretary of CPI (M). In 2022 April, Yechury was re-elected as the General Secretary of the party for the third consecutive time.