The Void Created by the Passing of Sitaram Yechury, Can not be Filled

Sitaram Yechury1

The demise of Comrade Sitaram Yechury has brought silence to all leftist organizations. He was known as a prominent politician, columnist, economist, and social worker. His constant involvement in student movements is well-known. During his student years, Yechury was elected as the president of JNU three times. He was even imprisoned during the Emergency period.

Comrade Sitaram Yechury was born on August 12, 1952, in a Telugu-speaking Brahmin family in Madras (now Chennai). His father, Sarveshwar Somayajula Yechury, was an engineer in the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, and his mother, Kalpakam Yechury, was a government officer. He grew up in Hyderabad and completed his 10th grade at All Saints High School there. After the armed communist movement in Telangana in 1969, he moved to New Delhi for further studies. After attending ‘President’s Estate’ School, he earned a degree in economics from St. Stephen’s College. Just before the Emergency was declared across the country by Indira Gandhi’s government on June 25, 1975, Sitaram Yechury had become a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He was arrested from the JNU campus by the police during the Emergency, preventing him from completing his Ph.D. In 2016, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal, where he was honored with the ‘Best Parliamentarian’ award. After the Emergency ended, he was released from prison and was subsequently elected as the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union.

Sitaram Yechury became part of CPM’s central politics in the 1980s and steadily climbed the ladder of success. In 1984, he was elected to the CPM’s Central Committee. He became part of the central secretariat, working under the Politburo. In 1992, he was elected to the CPM’s Politburo, and in 2015, he was chosen as the General Secretary of the CPM. He was re-elected to this prestigious position in 2018 and 2022. Sitaram Yechury was a top leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), a prominent leader of the leftist movement, and a renowned Marxist thinker. In 1974, he joined the student movement at Jawaharlal Nehru University and became the leader of the All India Students’ Federation. Within two years, he was elected three times as the president of the JNU Students’ Union. Between 1984 and 1986, he was the All India President of the Students’ Federation and played a key role in developing it into an All India force.

Sitaram Yechury joined CPI(M) in 1975. During the Emergency, he was arrested for political activities. In 1985, he was elected to the party’s Central Committee at the 12th Congress and remained on the committee since. In 1989, he was elected to the Central Secretariat, and in 1992, he was elected to the Politburo at the party’s 14th Congress.

In 2015, at the 21st Congress, he was elected as the General Secretary of CPI(M), a position he has held since then. As a part of the party’s leadership team for over three decades, he played a significant role in shaping the party’s political stance over time.

Sitaram Yechury made a special contribution to the realm of ideology. During the 14th Congress, the party passed a resolution on certain ideological issues, which shaped the party’s position in light of socialism’s failures. Comrade Sitaram Yechury presented this resolution before the Congress. Subsequently, he was the chief proponent of the updated resolution on ideological positions adopted at the party’s 20th Congress in 2012.

As the head of the Central Committee’s International Department, he participated in various international forums of communist and progressive forces, strengthening relations with socialist countries and demonstrating solidarity with anti-imperialist movements.

Sitaram Yechury was the editor of the party’s weekly newspaper, *People’s Democracy*, for over two decades. He was also a keen writer. His second major contribution to the ideological sphere was his critique of Hindutva, evident in his books. Sitaram Yechury served as a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2005 to 2017 and led the CPI(M) group. He was an influential parliamentarian, receiving the Best Parliamentarian Award in 2017. Recently, Yechury spent much of his time and energy building broad secular opposition unity, which eventually took the shape of the INDIA bloc.

During both the United Front government and the UPA government, Sitaram Yechury was one of the key negotiators for CPI(M), ensuring the party’s support for these alliances. His amiable personality earned him friends across political and social spheres. His political integrity and commitment were respected by all.


Yechury is known for continuing the legacy of former CPI(M) General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet in building coalitions. In 1996, he collaborated with P. Chidambaram in drafting the Common Minimum Program for the United Front government. In 2004, he played a key role in the efforts to build a coalition during the formation of the United Progressive Alliance government. Yechury also played a crucial role in negotiations with the UPA government on the India-US nuclear deal. However, in 2008, the left parties withdrew their support to the government on this issue, mainly due to Prakash Karat’s firm stance.

The loss of Comrade Yechury is not just a loss to the communist movement but to the nation as a whole, as he was a personality deeply concerned with the well-being of the country. His passing is unfortunate at a time when trust in the leftist front was growing. Comrades can truly honour him by advancing his unfinished work. Comrade Yechury Zindabad. Lal Salaam. He will always be remembered.

Vikas Parashram Meshram is a social worker and activist working towards the rights of tribal and marginalized communities.  Email: [email protected]

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