Stalwart Indian Marxist leader and Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away on Thursday at the age of 72.
He was undergoing treatment for respiratory ailments at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Yechury had been admitted to the emergency ward of AIIMS on August 19 and later moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He was suffering from a pneumonia-like infection, although doctors did not disclose the exact nature of his condition. He had also recently undergone cataract surgery.
A key figure in Indian politics, Yechury was a member of the CPM's Politburo, its top decision-making body, for over three decades. He served as a Rajya Sabha MP from 2005 to 2017. An alumnus of Delhi's St Stephen's College and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), he began his political journey with the Students' Federation of India before joining the CPM in 1975.
Yechury was pursuing a doctorate in Economics at JNU when the Indira Gandhi government imposed the Emergency in 1975. He was arrested along with many future national leaders, and his PhD remained incomplete. After being released from jail, he was elected president of the JNU Students' Union three times in one year, during which he formed a lasting bond with fellow leader Prakash Karat.
In 1992, Yechury was elected to the Politburo. He played a crucial role in drafting the Common Minimum Programme for the United Front government in 1996 and was instrumental in forging the coalition for the UPA government in 2004.
Condolences poured in following his death. Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi described Yechury as a "friend" and a "protector of the Idea of India." He added, "I will miss the long discussions we used to have. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and followers in this hour of grief."
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also expressed her sorrow, stating, "Sad to know that Sri Sitaram Yechury has passed away. I knew the veteran parliamentarian that he was, and his demise is a great loss for national politics. My condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues."