Thu Sep 12 15:58:05 UTC 2024: ## Veteran Indian Communist Leader Sitaram Yechury Passes Away at 72

**New Delhi, India** – Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M), has died at the age of 72. Yechury, a prominent figure in Indian politics for decades, was admitted to a Delhi hospital on August 19th for treatment of an acute respiratory tract infection.

Yechury’s political career began as a student leader with the left-wing Student Federation of India. He was arrested during the Emergency in 1975, a period of authoritarian rule under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Following his release, Yechury went on to become the president of Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, where he studied economics.

He played a pivotal role during the era of coalition governments in India, often bringing together disparate political ideologies. In 1996, Yechury spearheaded the formation of a 13-party coalition that governed India for nearly two years under Prime Ministers HD Deve Gowda and IK Gujral.

In 2004, the CPI(M) achieved a historic victory, winning 44 seats in the parliamentary elections. The Left parties, including the CPI(M), then provided external support to the Congress-led government without taking ministerial roles. However, in 2008, they withdrew their support in protest against the Indo-US nuclear deal, which required India to place its civil nuclear facilities under IAEA watch. This decision proved controversial and was viewed by many as a strategic misstep that led to the party’s declining popularity.

By the time Yechury became the CPI(M)’s general secretary in 2015, the party had lost significant ground, including its stronghold in West Bengal. Yechury was a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament, from 2005 to 2017.

Politicians from across the spectrum have expressed their condolences. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who shared a close relationship with Yechury, called him a friend and “a protector of the Idea of India with a deep understanding of our country.” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose Trinamool Congress ended the Left’s 34-year rule in the state, called Yechury’s death a loss for national politics.

Yechury’s passing marks the end of an era for the Indian left. He was a stalwart of the communist movement and his legacy will be debated for years to come.

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