File photos of Sitaram Yechury
Credit: DH Photos
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury passes away at 72
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away at AIIMS Delhi on Thursday. He breathed his last at 3.03pm. The 72-year-old was on respiratory support, the party had said on Tuesday.
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Indira Gandhi's Emergency to right-wing communal forces: Comrade Sitaram Yechury was a fighter to remember
Sitaram’ -- to young and old -- and ‘Sita’ to friends of all hues, the 72-year-old CPI(M) General Secretary donned several roles elegantly before leaving a legacy of being an anti-fascist Parliamentarian and a coalition builder
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'Fine human being... unrepentant Marxist': Congress leader Jairam Ramesh condoles Yechury's demise
Mamata expresses condolences for Yechury's passing away
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A man of unwavering conviction: Congress leader Pawan Khera expresses grief over Yechury's death
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan condoles Yechury's demise, calls him unparalleled leader of Communist movement
Profound loss for all of us: Priyanka Gandhi expresses condolences on the death of Rajya Sabha MP
TMC's Abhishek Banerjee said Yechury's simplicity and profound understanding of public policy were truly remarkable
Face of contemporary Indian politics, says RJD MP Manoj Jha
CPI(M) flag hoisted at half-mast at its Delhi office after the demise of its leader
Great loss for the communist movement of this country: CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah
"Comrade Sitaram Yechury was suffering from pneumonia and serious infection and he was admitted in AIIMS. He fought heroically against the disease but after 10 days, he had to succumb to the disease. Now, after his death, it is a great loss for the communist movement of this country, for the Left movement of this country and for the democratic movement of this country," says CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah on the demise of party colleague Sitaram Yechury.
via PTI
A fine human being...was instrumental in shaping UPA 1 government: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
Yechury devoted his life to an ideology which he strongly believed, says Hardeep Singh Puri
Distinguished himself as a seasoned parliamentarian who was known for his knowledge and articulation: Union minister Rajnath Singh
Outstanding leader of Left and Communist movement: CPI's D Raja on comrade Yechury
Big blow for CPI(M) and grievous loss for Left, democratic and secular forces: CPI(M) Polit Bureau
The Polit Bureau statement: The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its profound grief at the passing away of Comrade Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the Party on September 12, 2024. He died after battling a severe lung infection at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He was aged 72 years.
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.
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.
Sitaram Yechury joined the CPI(M) in 1975. He was arrested during the emergency for his political activities. He was elected to the Central Committee of the Party in 1985 at the 12th Congress and he remained in the Central Committee till now. He was elected to the Central Secretariat in 1989 and to the Polit Bureau in 1992 at the 14th Congress of the Party.
He 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.
As head of the International Department of the 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 Party’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.
Sitaram 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 an effective parliamentarian. He was given the best parliamentarian award in 2017.
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 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.
The Polit Bureau conveys its deepest sympathy and condolences to his wife Seema, his daughter Akhila, son Danish, brother Shankar and all other family members.
Yechury's body to be kept at AKG Bhavan in Delhi for public to pay homage on September 14
AP CM Chandrababu Naidu condoles Sitaram Yechury’s death
A big setback to leftist and progressive movements: CPI leader Annie Raja
Assam CM condoles Sitaram Yechury's death
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed grief over the death of veteran CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and said he made a rich contribution towards public service and social justice.
Yechury will be remembered for his deep conviction in his ideology and policies, Sarma said.
''Pained by the passing away of Sitaram Yechury ji. An erudite and articulate leader, he made a rich contribution towards public service and social justice," Sarma posted on 'X'.
A stalwart of Left movement and a towering figure in Indian politics: M K Stalin
Yechury had a distinct and influential voice, says President Droupadi Murmu
Sitaram Yechury: CPI-M chief, raconteur and convivial face of pragmatic Left politics
Polyglot, amiable and an eclectic conversationalist who could hold forth on film songs as much as politics, CPI-M’s fifth general secretary Sitaram Yechury was the pragmatic leader with friends across the political spectrum.
The three-time party chief, who passed away on Thursday after prolonged illness at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), took over the reins of the party when Left fortunes were on the decline. He was 72.
Quite unlike his predecessor Prakash Karat, from whom he took over in April 2015 and who was known for hardline positions, Yechury thrived on the challenges of coalition politics. In this way, he was more akin to his mentor, the late party leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet.
While Surjeet was a key player in the coalition era during the National Front government of VP Singh - formed in 1989 - and the United Front government of 1996-97, both supported from outside by the CPI-M, Yechury was the go to man in the UPA years from 2004-2014.
Yechury, who was born in Chennai and studied at Delhi’s St Stephen’s College and Jawaharlal Nehru University, was a trusted ally of United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Manmohan Singh’s 10 years as prime minister.
He was the first non-Congress leader Gandhi called after she met then president APJ Abdul Kalam in 2004 when she turned down the post of prime minister and rallied for Singh.
Earlier, Yechury, one of the Left’s most recognised faces, worked with Congress leader P Chidambaram to draft the common minimum programme for the United Front government.
It was an equation that survived the shock withdrawal of support by the Left to the UPA in 2008 over the Indo-US nuclear deal. Yechury played an important role in the discussions with the UPA government on the issue.
Expressing his condolences, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh described him as an "unrepentant Marxist with a pragmatic streak, a pillar of the CPI(M), and a superb Parliamentarian".
While his political colleagues remembered Yechury the politician, old friends went down memory lane to remember their walks from Rafi Marg to Chanakya to watch films.
Yechury, who famously loved old Hindi film songs, books and endless conversations on politics, was a Rajya Sabha MP for 12 years till 2017, remaining a powerful voice of the Opposition.
At the end of his tenure, he refused to take another term and said in his farewell speech in the Upper House that he came to Parliament “reluctantly”. As Left activists, they used to say it was better to stay far away from the “gol building” (the round building), he remarked.
Yechury became general secretary of the CPI-M at the 21st party Congress in Visakhapatnam on April 19, 2015 , taking over from Karat at a time the party was down from 43 MPs in 2004 to nine in 2014. He was subsequently re-elected to the post in 2018, and 2022.
The Surjeet protégé’s negotiation skills were crucial as he joined his predecessor, Prakash Karat in the UPA-Left Coordination Committee.
In an interview with PTI in 2015, after taking over as party general secretary, Yechury said they should have withdrawn support on issues like price rise as the people could not be mobilised on the nuclear deal issue in the 2009 general elections.
He was known for his strong and articulate speeches in Rajya Sabha on issues ranging from the plight of the farmers and the working classes to the government's economic and foreign policies and the growing threat of communalism.
The CPI-M leader was fluent in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bangla, and also Malayalam. He was also well-versed in Hindu mythology, and often used those references in his speeches especially to attack the BJP.
Yechury remained one of the most vocal critics of the Narendra Modi government and its liberal economic policies.
His alliance-building skills came to use again for the Left in the run-up to the 2024 general elections. In 2018, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Central Committee of the CPI-M had rejected the proposal of having any understanding or alliance with Congress. Yechury had then offered to resign as the general secretary.
However, in the run-up to the 2024 elections, as talks for a united opposition grouping started and opposition parties got together to form the INDIA bloc, CPI-M was part of it. Yechury remained among the key faces of the alliance.
Though CPI-M was part of the INDIA bloc in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the Congress and communist parties fought separately in Kerala, the last remaining Left bastion where CPI-M won only one seat. However, being a part of the bloc helped the CPI-M and it won a seat in Rajasthan and two seats in Tamil Nadu, taking its total tally up to four, from three in the 17th Lok Sabha.
His journey in politics started with the Students' Federation of India (SFI), which he joined in 1974 and became a member of the party the very next year. He was arrested a few months later during the Emergency.
After his release, Yechury was elected president of the JNU Students' Union thrice. In the SFI, he became the all-India joint secretary in 1978 and its president soon thereafter.
When he became SFI president in 1978, he was the first person who did not belong to either West Bengal or Kerala to occupy the post.
His rise in the party was swift. In 1985, he was elected to the Central Committee of the CPI-M and to the Politburo in 1992 at the age of 40 and then party chief in 2015.
Born in a Telugu-speaking family in Chennai on August 12, 1952, Yechury’s father Sarveswara Somayajula Yechury was an engineer in the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation. His mother Kalpakam Yechury was a government officer.
He grew up in Hyderabad and his family moved to Delhi in 1969. A bright student, Yechury achieved the all-India first rank in the Central Board of Secondary Education examinations and subsequently did his graduation in economics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi.
He did his post-graduation from Jawaharlal Nehru University again with a first-class, but could not complete his PhD due to his arrest during the Emergency after having remained underground for some time and organising resistance.
He also headed the party's international department and was editor of the party organ 'People's Democracy' for several years.
In a recent interview to PTI, Yechury said the 2024 verdict was a setback for the BJP but also expressed concern over his party’s marginally improved performance.
He said serious introspection would be done on how to close the gap between its ability to launch struggles on the ground and its power to win seats.
Yechury is survived by his wife Seema Chishti and his two children, Akhila and Danish. His elder son, Ashish Yechury, passed away due to Covid in 2021. Yechury was earlier married to Indrani Mazumdar.
via PTI
'Nation deprived of a leader who spoke freely': Farooq Abdullah reacts to Yechury's demise
Yechury's body will be donated to AIIMS as per his wish
In a statement, the CPI(M) said Yechury's body will be kept at the party headquarters in Delhi between 11 am and 3 pm on Saturday for public viewing and paying homage. Subsequently, the body will be taken to AIIMS, where it will be donated for medical research, according to his wishes.
We lost our hope: Su Venkatesan
Hemant Soren condoles Sitaram Yechury's death
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday expressed grief over the death of CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, saying his demise was a great loss for Indian politics.
Big loss for Indian politics, says former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the demise of Sitaram Yechury
A man of conviction, who stood by his ideas and ideals, says Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan as he remembers Yechury
India has lost a great leader: Harish Rao Thanneeru
Yechury played vital role in unifying secular forces of country: Congress leader A K Antony
People like him are institutions: JMM leader Supriyo Bhattacharya
Yechury's dedication to his cause, party will always be remembered: H D Deve Gowda
Former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda on Thursday condoled the passing away of CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and said his dedication to his cause and to his party will always be remembered.
"I am very saddened to learn that Sitaram Yechury, my longtime friend and colleague, has passed away. My deepest condolences. His dedication to his cause and to his party will always be remembered," Deve Gowda said.
Via PTI
Leading light of Left and known for his ability to connect across political spectrum: PM Modi condoles Sitaram Yechury's death
Watch: CPI(M) leaders pay tribute to party Yechury at party office in Delhi
Union Home Minister Amit Shah condoles the demise of Sitaram Yechury
He will be sorely missed during debates on issues of national importance: Naveen Patnaik
A cruel blow to forces engaged in battle to defend democracy, liberty, equality, workers' rights and human rights: Congress leader P Chidambaram
He was indeed an important voice for labourers, workers and farmers: Sharad Pawar
Lost a leader who dedicated his life to a cause to protect interests of labourers, farmers, and common man: Maharashtra CM Shinde
Mehbooba Mufti, Ghulam Nabi Azad condole CPI(M) leader Yechury's passing
Irreparable loss to Indian politics, says J P Nadda
He relentlessly fought to uphold democratic traditions: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy
When Yechury led students to seek Indira Gandhi's resignation as JNU chancellor
Veteran Marxist leader Sitaram Yehury, who got shaped in politics during the Emergency days, was brilliant in academics and a CBSE topper, but he earned a distinction when he led students of Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to push then prime minister Indira Gandhi to resign as the university's chancellor.
In October 1977, Yechury led a group of students to the prime minister's residence and handed her a memorandum seeking her resignation as the JNU chancellor.
Recalling the incident once, Yechury had said during the Emergency days, arrest notices for students would be pasted on their hostel doors in the university.
There was a protest in the university demanding Gandhi's resignation as the chancellor and the students decided to walk down to the prime minister's residence and paste a memorandum demanding her resignation on the door.
As they reached the prime minister's residence, they were asked to send a delegation of five students inside. However, the students insisted that all of them should be allowed in, a request that was accepted.
When the students walked inside the prime minister's residence, they were surprised to see that Gandhi herself came to meet them.
"She asked us what did we want and we said we wanted her to resign," Yechury had said, recalling the incident.
A photograph of the JNU students surrounding Gandhi and a young Yechury reading out the memorandum is a part of history.
Yechury was a brilliant student who secured the all-India first rank in the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) higher-secondary examination and also got a first class in both his undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in economics.
He joined the students' movement in the JNU in 1974 and became a leader of the Students' Federation of India (SFI). He was thrice elected as the president of the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) within a span of two years.
Yechury joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 1975 and was arrested during Emergency for his political activities.
He was the president of the SFI from 1984 to 1986 and played an important role in developing the student organisation as a pan-India force.
A polyglot and a prolific writer, Yechury was the editor of the CPI-M's weekly publication, "People's Democracy", for more than two decades. His other notable contribution in the ideological field was his critique of Hindutva, which was published in his books, titled "What is this 'Hindu Rashtra'?" and "Communalism vs Secularism".
via PTI
'Powerful champion of secularism': Sonia Gandhi condoles Yechury's demise
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday condoled the passing away of CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, saying he was fierce in his determination to protect India's diversity and was a powerful champion of secularism.
Yechury breathed his last at the AIIMS here on Thursday following a prolonged illness. He was 72. Yechury had been in a critical condition for the last few days and was on respiratory support.
"I am very saddened by the passing away of Sitaram Yechuryji. We had worked closely together during 2004-08 to begin with and the friendship that had been established then continued till his very end," said Gandhi in a statement.
"He was uncompromising in his commitment to the values of our country’s Constitution embodied so very forcefully in its Preamble. He was fierce in his determination to protect India’s diversity and was a powerful champion of secularism," the former Congress chief said.
Yechury was, of course, a life-long communist but that faith was anchored in democratic values, Gandhi said.
Indeed, his twelve-year stint in Parliament was memorable and left his indelible mark, she added.
"He (Yechury) played a pivotal role in UPA-1 and more recently contributed enormously to the emergence of the INDIA group in the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He will be sorely missed," Gandhi said.
Via PTI
Dhankhar, Birla condole Yechury's passing
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday condoled the passing of CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, saying he left behind a rich legacy of unwavering commitment to public service.
"Deeply saddened by the passing away of veteran leader Shri Sitaram Yechury ji. His career spanning five decades has been marked by significant contributions towards strengthening Indian democracy. He leaves behind a rich legacy of unwavering commitment to public service," the Vice-President's Secretariat said quoting Dhankhar, who is also the Rajya Sabha chairperson.
In a post on X, Birla prayed for peace for the departed soul.
Kharge writes to Seema Chisti expressing condolences
RSS condoles Yechury's demise; terms him committed, sensitive leader
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh condoled the demise of CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Thursday and said he was a committed and sensitive political leader.
Yechury passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi following a prolonged illness. He was 72.
"Very sad to know about the demise of Sitaram Yechury, leader of CPM. We express deep condolences to his party people and family," RSS' Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar said in a message.
"He was a committed and sensitive political leader. Pray for peace to the departed soul," the RSS functionary wrote on X.
Via PTI
Effective parliamentarian, unrepentant Marxist: Leaders across pol aisle condole Yechury's passing
Leaders cutting across the political spectrum condoled CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury's passing, with many hailing him as an effective parliamentarian, a pillar of the CPI(M) and an "unrepentant Marxist" with a pragmatic streak.
Yechury (72) died at AIIMS in Delhi following prolonged illness. He had been in a critical condition for the past few days and was on respiratory support.
President Droupadi Murmu condoled Yechury's demise and expressed heartfelt condolences to his family and colleagues.
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar condoled his passing and said Yechury left behind a rich legacy of unwavering commitment to public service.
Condoling his passing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Yechury was a leading light of the Left and known for his ability to connect across the political spectrum.
"Saddened by the passing away of Shri Sitaram Yechury ji. He was a leading light of the Left and was known for his ability to connect across the political spectrum," Modi said in a post on X.
"He also made a mark as an effective parliamentarian. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this sad hour. Om Shanti," the prime minister said.
The CPI(M) also expressed profound grief over the death of its general secretary and described Yechury's passing as a big blow for the Left, democratic and secular forces.
The Congress also condoled Yechury's death, with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi saying he was a protector of the idea of India with a deep understanding of the country.
Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge said Yechury was an excellent parliamentarian and an outstanding intellectual who served the people of India with pragmatism blended with idealism.
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi said Yechury was fierce in his determination to protect India's diversity and was a powerful champion of secularism.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, "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," the former Congress chief said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also condoled Yechury's demise and said his passing "is a profound loss for all of us".
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said Yechury was an "unrepentant Marxist with a pragmatic streak, a pillar of the CPI(M), and a superb Parliamentarian".
BJP leaders and Union ministers also paid tribute to Yechury and said his contributions to public life would always be remembered.
"Pained by the passing away of CPI(M) general secretary and former Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury. In his long years in public life, he distinguished himself as a seasoned parliamentarian who was known for his knowledge and articulation," senior BJP leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in a post on X.
Extending heartfelt condolences to Yechury's family and loved ones, Union minister and former BJP president Nitin Gadkari said the CPI(M) leader's contributions to public life would always be remembered.
Union minister Piyush Goyal said Yechury gave his entire life for the country.
Several chief ministers also condoled Yechury's death with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calling it a loss to national politics.
"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 national politics. I express my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues," she said on X.
The chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, among others, also expressed grief.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed shock over Yechury's passing.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray condoled Yechury's death and hailed his commitment to his party and the values he brought to politics.
RJD's Manoj Jha said, "I am not able to believe the news. I had met him just a few weeks ago. Comrade Sitaram was full of energy, he was always planning ahead."
China's envoy to India Xu Feihong said, "Deeply saddened by the passing of Comrade Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). My deepest condolences to his family and comrades of CPI(M) during this difficult time."
"He was a staunch Marxist and an old friend of the Chinese people. His contribution to China-India relations and friendship will be remembered forever," Xu said.
Yechury, who started from the students' union of Jawaharlal Nehru University as a member of the Students' Federation of India and went on to become a member of the central committee of the CPI(M) in 1984, was elected to the Politburo in 1992.
He served as a Rajya Sabha MP from 2005 to 2017. He became the fifth general secretary of the CPI(M) at the 21st party congress in Visakhapatnam in April 2015, taking over from Prakash Karat.
He also played a significant role in the formation of the joint opposition's INDIA bloc ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Via PTI
Punjab, Haryana CMs condole Yechury's death
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday condoled the death of CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, saying his demise is a tremendous loss for the country's political landscape.
Yechury breathed his last at the AIIMS in Delhi on Thursday following a prolonged illness. He was 72. Yechury had been in a critical condition for the last few days and was on respiratory support.
Punjab CM Mann in a post on X said, "Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Sitaram Yechury ji. His demise is a tremendous loss for the country's political landscape. I pay my heartfelt tribute to him and offer my sincerest condolences to his family, colleagues, and comrades."
Haryana CM Saini said, "The demise of general secretary of the CPI (M), Sitaram Yechury ji is an irreparable loss to Indian politics."