CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury Passes Away At 72

Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of the CPI(M), passed away at the age of 72 on Thursday (12 September) after battling a prolonged illness.

Yechury, a former Rajya Sabha MP, had been under treatment at AIIMS, Delhi, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit due to acute respiratory tract infection.

Over the last few days, he was on respiratory support under the care of a multidisciplinary team of doctors, Indian Express reported.

"It is with profound grief that we announce the passing away of CPIM General Secretary, our beloved Comrade Sitaram Yechury, at 3.03 pm today, 12th September, at the AIIMS, New Delhi. He was suffering from a respiratory tract infection which developed complications," CPI(M) said in a post on X.

Succeeding Prakash Karat, Yechury took over as the CPI(M) general secretary in 2015.

He was mentored by the late Harkishan Singh Surjeet, a prominent CPI(M) leader who had been instrumental in shaping the coalition politics of the National Front and United Front governments in the late 90s, with CPI(M) backing these regimes from outside.

Yechury's influence grew further during the UPA-I government when the Left parties supported the Congress-led administration.

He was pivotal in the party's negotiations with the government, particularly during the contentious Indo-US nuclear deal, which eventually led to the Left parties withdrawing support to the UPA-I government, a decision largely influenced by Karat's firm stance.

Yechury's political journey began with his involvement in the Students' Federation of India (SFI) in 1974, and he became a member of the CPI(M) the following year.

His activism during the Emergency period saw him arrested just a few months after joining the party.

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