Thu Sep 12 17:57:17 UTC 2024: ## Renowned Communist Leader Sitaram Yechury Passes Away at 72
**New Delhi, September 2024** – Sitaram Yechury, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) since 2015, passed away at the age of 72 on Thursday. He had been undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for an acute respiratory infection since August.
Yechury, a prominent Marxist intellectual and a member of the CPI(M) Politburo since 1992, was known for his sharp critiques of imperialism and neo-colonialism. He was a staunch advocate for the rights of the peasantry and the working class, consistently fighting against neo-liberal policies and the rise of Hindutva fascism.
He was a towering figure in student politics, having served as the President of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union thrice and the All India President of the Students Federation of India (SFI) from 1984 to 1986. He led a legendary struggle against the Emergency in JNU.
Yechury was a prolific writer and served as the Editor of the CPI(M)’s weekly paper, People’s Democracy, for over two decades. His books, “What is this `Hindu Rashtra’?” and “Communalism vs Secularism,” provided insightful critiques of Hindutva ideology.
He served two terms in the Rajya Sabha, from 2005 to 2017, where he consistently articulated the concerns of the working class and fought against the corporatization of agriculture. He was a key figure in uniting opposition forces against the Modi regime’s policies, and his work helped fuel the anti-corporate Kisan movement.
In recent years, he played a crucial role in forging the INDIA bloc, a coalition of secular opposition parties. He was respected for his political integrity and commitment across the political spectrum.
His passing is a significant loss for the CPI(M) and the Left, democratic, and secular forces in India. The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) mourns the loss of a stalwart leader and has called for intensifying the struggle against all forms of exploitation in his memory.
First Piper 