Guwahati: CPI(M) general secretary and former Rajya Sabha MP, Sitaram Yechury, passed away on Thursday after a prolonged illness. He was 72.
Yechury had been receiving treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi for an acute respiratory tract infection. In recent days, he had been on respiratory support under the care of a multidisciplinary team of doctors.
He is survived by his wife, Seema Chishti, editor of The Wire, and their two children, daughter Akhila and son Daanish. His elder son, Ashish Yechury, tragically succumbed to COVID-19 in 2021.
Yechury was admitted to AIIMS on August 19 for a pneumonia-like chest infection and was being treated in the intensive care unit.
His last public appearance was a video message recorded from the hospital, where he paid tribute to former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who passed away last month. Yechury was unable to attend Bhattacharjee’s funeral due to his own health issues.
Having served as CPI(M)’s general secretary since 2015, Yechury was re-elected twice, in 2018 and 2022.
A member of the party’s Polit Bureau for over three decades, Yechury’s political journey began during his student days when he joined the CPI(M)’s student wing, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI).
He gained prominence as the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union, notably leading protests that pressured Indira Gandhi to step down as chancellor of the university.
Yechury was mentored by the late CPI(M) leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet, who played key roles during the coalition governments of V.P. Singh’s National Front and the United Front government in 1996-97, both of which were supported by the CPI(M).
Yechury became a prominent figure during the Left’s backing of the first UPA government, often influencing policy decisions.
He also played a critical role in the discussions surrounding the Indo-US nuclear deal, which ultimately led to the Left parties withdrawing their support from the UPA-I government, largely due to the firm stance taken by then CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat.
Yechury joined the SFI in 1974 and became a member of the CPI(M) the following year. Shortly after, he was arrested during the Emergency, marking the beginning of his long and storied political career.