Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
India

Sitaram Yechury, a stalwart of Left politics in India

Darpan News Desk IANS, 12 Sep, 2024 11:26 AM
  • Sitaram Yechury, a stalwart of Left politics in India

Hyderabad, Sep 12 (IANS) CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, who passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi on Thursday, was a stalwart of the Left politics in India, and also known for his personal relations with political adversaries.

Survived by his wife and journalist Seema Chishti, a son, and a daughter, he was 72.

Succeeding Prakash Karat as the CPI-M's General Secretary in 2015, he was re-elected for another term in 2018. A member of CPI-M Politburo, the highest decision-making body of the party since 1992, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2005 to 2017.

An affable, soft-spoken and suave, Yechury was a polyglot with great oratory skills. He was known for his friendly nature towards his political rivals.

Yechury was born in Madras (Chennai) in a Telugu Brahmin family on August 12, 1952. His father Sarweshwar Somayajulu was an engineer in the Andhra Pradesh State Road Corporation while his mother Kalpakalam was a government officer.

Completing his school education in Hyderabad and his matriculation from the All Saints School. Later, he shifted to Delhi, where he completed his higher secondary education and did a B.A. in Economics from St. Stephen's College.

Yechury's political journey began when he was pursuing his M.A. at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi. As President of the Students' Union, he was attracted to Marxist ideology and soon became a member of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPI-M.

After formally joining the CPI-M in 1975, he became an active politician, fighting against the Emergency and raising his voice for worker rights, land reforms, and a secular state.

He was just 32 when he was made a Central Committee member.

Initially known as one of the key faces of the anti-Congress Opposition Front, Yechury later emerged as an important figure in coalition-building efforts in national politics by bringing together various Janata Party factions to keep the Congress out.

He, along with other Marxist leaders, cobbled up an alliance to make H.D. Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal the Prime Minister in 1996, after the Congress could not get a majority. With P. Chidambaram, then in the Tamil Manila Congress of G.K. Moopanar, Yechury played a key role in the drafting of the Common Minimum Programme for the United Front government. He later helped I.K. Gujral become Deve Gowda's successor.

Yechury was once again a key face in 2004 when the Left bloc extended key outside support to the Congress-led UPA government led by PM Manmohan Singh based on a Common Minimum Programme.

He was in favour of friendly ties with Congress to keep the BJP out. Though the Left Front withdrew support to the UPA in 2008 over the India-US nuclear deal, Yechury was seen as a leader who advocated closer cooperation with the Congress.

In 2015, Yechury took over as CPI-M's General Secretary when the party was passing through challenging times after losing power in its stronghold West Bengal in 2011.

However, Yechury could not stop the slide in the CPI-M's political fortunes as the party also lost its citadel Tripura and though it created history by winning an unprecedented second term in Kerala in 2021, it was routed in the Lok Sabha polls in the state as well as erstwhile bastion West Bengal.

Ahead of the 2024 polls, he was also a key figure in the formation of the INDIA bloc.

 

MORE India ARTICLES

Delhi CM Kejriwal's judicial custody in CBI case extended till July 25

Delhi CM Kejriwal's judicial custody in CBI case extended till July 25
Hours after the Supreme Court ordered Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to be released on interim bail in the ED's money laundering case, a court here on Friday extended, till July 25, his judicial custody in the corruption case lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the alleged liquor policy scam. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court passed the order upon the expiry of the previously granted judicial custody.

Delhi CM Kejriwal's judicial custody in CBI case extended till July 25

Centre declares June 25 as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas', PM Modi welcomes move

Centre declares June 25 as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas', PM Modi welcomes move
June 25, the day when the Emergency was imposed on the nation by Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's regime in 1975, will now be observed as the 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas', every year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday. Home Minister Shah made the announcement on social media platform X and also shared a gazette notification.

Centre declares June 25 as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas', PM Modi welcomes move

Don’t be nasty to Smriti Irani, LoP Rahul says on X; BJP calls it ‘most disingenuous’

Don’t be nasty to Smriti Irani, LoP Rahul says on X; BJP calls it ‘most disingenuous’
The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Friday used his social media account to appeal in favour of BJP leader and former Union Minister Smriti Irani. Taking to X, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi urged trolls to refrain from spewing demeaning and derogatory remarks against her.

Don’t be nasty to Smriti Irani, LoP Rahul says on X; BJP calls it ‘most disingenuous’

Indian Railways adds 92 general coaches in 46 trains to ‘benefit’ common man

Indian Railways adds 92 general coaches in 46 trains to ‘benefit’ common man
The trains in which coaches have been added include Bengaluru City Belagavi Superfast Express, Chennai Central Hubli Superfast Express, Mumbai Bengaluru Udayan Express, Mumbai Amravati Superfast Express Guwahati Lokmanya Tilak Express, Guwahati Jammu Tawi Express, Further, 22 other trains have also been identified and a plan has been made to install additional general class coaches in them soon, the Ministry said.

Indian Railways adds 92 general coaches in 46 trains to ‘benefit’ common man

Himachal withdraws free electricity for tax payers

Himachal withdraws free electricity for tax payers
The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh on Friday at a Cabinet meeting decided to withdraw the free electricity scheme benefitting all income-tax payers. However, the 125-unit free power subsidy to domestic consumers will continue for all other categories, including BPL and IRDP families.

Himachal withdraws free electricity for tax payers

12 students injured after balcony at Bihar school collapses

12 students injured after balcony at Bihar school collapses
At least 12 students were injured after a balcony of a two-storey private school building collapsed in Bihar's Madhepura district on Friday. The incident took place at the National DAV Public School in Udakishunganj block of the district. The conditions of three of the 12 injured students are stated to be critical.

12 students injured after balcony at Bihar school collapses