Sitaram Yechury - "Unrepentant Marxist", Author and Editor

The CPIM lost one of its staunchest pillars today as Sitaram Yechury, the party's three-time general secretary, strategist, think tank, author and editor of its mouthpiece People's Democracy for over two decades, died at the age of 72 today. The veteran leader had been ailing for some time and was admitted at Delhi's All-India Institute of Medical Sciences or AIIMS. He was being treated for acute respiratory tract infection and was on respiratory support. 

Over the last five decades, Yechury, a former Rajya Sabha MP from Bengal, left his imprint not just on the CPM but also the national political canvas --- playing an active role in drawing up the Common Minimum Programme for the United Front government in 1996. 

While upholding party ideology, he was also seen as its pragmatic face, becoming a key figure in the coalition-building during the formation of the United Progressive Alliance government in 2004 -- a role for which he was regarded as the bearer of the legacy of veteran party leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet. Since then, he was seen as the CPM's key interlocutor with the Congress, despite the two parties being at loggerheads in Kerala and Bengal.

In recent days, he voiced the party's bitter opposition to the right wing, and emerged as a collaborative force within the Opposition. 

Yechury's association with Leftist thoughts go back to his student days in Jawaharlal Nehru University, where he was doing his Masters' degree in Economics. Along with the other key CPM leader Prakash 
Karat, he built up the formidable Left bastion in JNU that still endures. 

In 1975, he was jailed for organising resistance to the Emergency. Part of the CPM students' wing Students' Federation of India, he was elected thrice to head it. A holder of a politburo seat for 32 years, he had succeeded Prakash Karat as the party general secretary in 2015 and was elected for three terms.

In the following years, Yechury, though, had differed with this oldest colleague on several key issues - the most prominent among them being part of the coalition in 1996 and the Indo-US nuclear deal in 2008.  

In 1996, he had voted in favour of the CPM forming a multi-party coalition with former Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu as the Prime Minister. But the motion was defeated, with the opponent group being led by Prakash Karat and the United Front government led by HD Deve Gowda came to power. 

Ahead of the Indo-US nuclear deal too, the CPM Central Committee had rejected a proposal from Yechury that listed all the party's objections with which the Congress was on board. The party, instead, went along with Prakash Karat's suggestion to pull out support to the UPA government.

A Central leader of the CPM tasked with reviving the party in Bengal and Kerala, he had accepted it as a challenge at a time when the party's numbers in the parliament were ebbing. While he could not bring about an immediate resurgence, his ties with the state leaders remained close.  

The ailing leader had last uploaded a video on August 22 -- days after he was hospitalised -- a condolence message after the death of former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. "It's my loss that I was not able to physically attend this memorial meeting and pay my homage to Com. Buddhadev Bhattacharya", read the caption of his post.

Sitaram Yechury is mourned by leaders across the political divide -- a mark of his ability to keep personal connections despite political differences, and had friends even in the BJP camp.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said: "Pained by the passing away of CPI(M) General Secretary and former Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sitaram Yechuri. In his long years in public life, he distinguished himself as a seasoned parliamentarian who was known for his knowledge and articulation. He was also my friend with whom I had several interactions. I will always recall my interactions with him. Condolences to his bereaved family and supporters. Om Shanti!"

In his message, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh spoke of their three-decade association and frequent collaborations. "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," Mr Ramesh added.

Over the last years, he had developed a close association with Rahul Gandhi, so much so that Jairam Ramesh had jocularly said, "He (Yechury) is the general secretary of the CPM and of the Congress too. And sometimes his influence in the Congress is more than in the CPM."

In his condolence message, Mr Gandhi had 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".