Close X
Wednesday, December 11, 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

PM Modi hails report showing India’s rapid strides in Swachhta Abhiyaan, dip in infant mortality

PM Modi hails report showing India’s rapid strides in Swachhta Abhiyaan, dip in infant mortality
The leading research team conducted an analysis of the long-term association between India’s toilet coverage and infant mortality, and found that the benefits of Swachh Bharat Mission were visible in the reduction of child mortality.

PM Modi hails report showing India’s rapid strides in Swachhta Abhiyaan, dip in infant mortality

Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana transforming lives in Gujarat

Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana transforming lives in Gujarat
The solar panels installed under this scheme have freed the residents of this area from the hassle of electricity bills. These families who once used to pay electricity bills to the tune of Rs 10,000 to 13,000 every month now only have to pay up to Rs 800 to 900 per month. Launched by the Central government, this ambitious scheme aims to light up millions of homes across India with free solar power.

Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana transforming lives in Gujarat

Yogi Adityanath accuses Rahul Gandhi of seeking to push country towards civil war

Yogi Adityanath accuses Rahul Gandhi of seeking to push country towards civil war
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has responded sharply to the statements made by Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, during his interactions in the US. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister alleged that Rahul Gandhi's aim is to disrupt India's unity, integrity, and social harmony, and to push the country towards a civil war. He also condemned the Congress leader's efforts to "sow seeds of division" in the nation, and called for him to apologise to the citizens of the country.

Yogi Adityanath accuses Rahul Gandhi of seeking to push country towards civil war

PM Modi to inaugurate 4th Global RE-INVEST at Gandhinagar on Sep 16

PM Modi to inaugurate 4th Global RE-INVEST at Gandhinagar on Sep 16
Giving out details, Union Minister for Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi told scribes that the flagship event will be organised in Mahatma Mandir and the valedictory session of the conference and exposition will be chaired by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

PM Modi to inaugurate 4th Global RE-INVEST at Gandhinagar on Sep 16

Air Marshal Walia takes over as senior Air Staff Officer at Eastern Air Command

Air Marshal Walia takes over as senior Air Staff Officer at Eastern Air Command
Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia on Monday assumed charge as the Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at the Indian Air Force's Eastern Air Command, an official statement said. The SASO's post in the IAF is equivalent to the Chief of Staff in various Commands of the Indian Army and the Indian Navy.

Air Marshal Walia takes over as senior Air Staff Officer at Eastern Air Command

Apple introduces new iPhone 16 series, available in India from Sep 20

Apple introduces new iPhone 16 series, available in India from Sep 20
Powered by the A18 Pro chip, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max feature a new 48MP Fusion camera with a faster quad-pixel sensor that enables 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision, the company said in a statement.

Apple introduces new iPhone 16 series, available in India from Sep 20