'Void in Leftist landscape': Loss of Sitaram Yechury who had helped form INDIA bloc

By Vikas Meshram*

The passing of Sitaram Yechury has cast a profound stillness over leftist organizations across India. Renowned as a distinguished politician, columnist, economist, and social activist, Yechury was a staunch advocate for student rights and movements. His leadership skills became apparent early in his academic career, as he was elected three times as the president of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Yechury also endured imprisonment during the Emergency period, underscoring his commitment to political activism.

Born on August 12, 1952, in a Telugu-speaking Brahmin family in Chennai (formerly Madras), Yechury was raised in Hyderabad. His father, Sarveshwar Somayajula Yechury, worked as an engineer, while his mother, Kalpakam Yechury, was a government officer. He attended All Saints High School and pursued advanced studies in New Delhi after the armed communist movement in Telangana in 1969. Following his education at the prestigious St. Stephen's College, Yechury joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist) just before the Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975. He was arrested on the JNU campus during this tumultuous time, hindering his Ph.D. progress. In 2016, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal and was later honored with the 'Best Parliamentarian' award.

Yechury's ascent in the Communist Party of India (Marxist) began in the 1980s, when he was elected to the Central Committee in 1984, eventually becoming part of the Central Secretariat. His role in the Politburo started in 1992, leading to his appointment as General Secretary of the party in 2015, a position he successfully retained in 2018 and 2022. A leading figure in the leftist movement, Yechury also made significant contributions to student activism, notably as president of the JNU Students' Union on three separate occasions.

He officially joined the CPI(M) in 1975 and was arrested during the Emergency for his political efforts. His influence grew within the party, as he served on the Central Committee starting in 1985 and joined the Central Secretariat in 1989. Notably, during the 14th Congress, he played a key role in resolving ideological debates that shaped the party's future direction.

Sitaram Yechury inherited the coalition-building legacy of former CPI(M) General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet

Yechury was instrumental as the head of the Central Committee's International Department, where he actively engaged with international socialist and progressive movements, bolstering solidarity among leftist forces. He served as the editor of "People's Democracy" for over 20 years and was an influential writer, notably critiquing Hindutva in his published works. As a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2005 to 2017 and leader of the CPI(M) group, he earned recognition for his legislative contributions, receiving the Best Parliamentarian Award in 2017.

Yechury was pivotal in fostering broad secular unity within the opposition, culminating in the formation of the INDIA bloc. His amiable disposition and political integrity helped forge connections across various political and social spheres.

He inherited the coalition-building legacy of former CPI(M) General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet, collaborating on significant initiatives such as the Common Minimum Program for the United Front government in 1996 and influencing negotiations during the UPA government over the India-US nuclear deal.

The loss of Sitaram Yechury extends beyond the communist movement; it represents a loss for the nation, as he was an unwavering advocate for the country's welfare. His demise is particularly poignant given the recent resurgence of trust in leftist principles. Comrades can honor his legacy by continuing his unfinished work.

Comments

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

Love letters in a lifelong war: Babusha Kohli’s resistance in verse

By Ravi Ranjan* “War does not determine who is right—only who is left.” Bertrand Russell’s words echo hauntingly in our times, and few contemporary Hindi poets embody this truth as profoundly as Babusha Kohli. Emerging from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Kohli has carved a unique space in literature by weaving together tenderness, protest, and philosophy across poetry, prose, and cinema. Her work is not merely artistic expression—it is resistance, refuge, and a call for peace.

The golden crop: How turmeric is transforming women's lives in tribal India

By Vikas Meshram* When the lush green fields of turmeric sway in the tribal belt of southern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, it is not merely a spice crop — it is the golden glow of self-reliance. In villages where even basic spices once had to be bought from the market, the very soil today is yielding a prosperity that has transformed the lives of thousands of families. At the heart of this transformation is the initiative of Vaagdhara, which has linked turmeric with livelihoods, nutrition, and village self-governance — gram swaraj.

Authoritarian destruction of the public sphere in Ecuador: Trumpism in action?

By Pilar Troya Fernández The situation in Ecuador under Daniel Noboa's government is one of authoritarianism advancing on several fronts simultaneously to consolidate neoliberalism and total submission to the US international agenda. These are not isolated measures, but rather a coordinated strategy that combines job insecurity, the dismantling of the welfare state, unrestricted access to mining, the continuation of oil exploitation without environmental considerations, the centralization of power through the financial suffocation of local governments, and the systematic criminalization of all forms of opposition and popular organization.

Echoes of Vietnam and Chile: The devastating cost of the I-A Axis in Iran

By Ram Puniyani The recent joint military actions by Israel and the United States against Iran have been devastating. Like all wars, this conflict is brutal to its core, leaving a trail of human suffering in its wake. The stated pretext for this aggression—the brutality of the Ayatollah Khamenei regime and its nuclear ambitions—clashes sharply with the reality of the diplomatic landscape. Iran had expressed a willingness to remain at the negotiating table, signaling a readiness to concede points emerging from dialogue.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

The price of silence: Why Modi won’t follow Shastri, appeal for sacrifice

By Arundhati Dhuru, Sandeep Pandey* In 1965, as India grappled with war and a crippling food crisis, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri faced a United States that used wheat shipments under the PL-480 agreement as a lever to dictate Indian foreign policy. Shastri’s response remains legendary: he appealed to the nation to skip one meal a day. Millions of middle-class households complied, choosing temporary hunger over the sacrifice of national dignity. Today, India faces a modern equivalent in the energy sector, yet the leadership’s response stands in stark contrast to that era of self-reliance.

False claim? What Venezuela is witnessing is not surrender but a tactical retreat

By Manolo De Los Santos The early morning hours of January 3, 2026, marked an inflection point in Venezuela and Latin America’s centuries-long struggle for self-determination and independence. Operation Absolute Resolve, ordered by the Trump administration, constituted the most brutal and direct military assault on a sovereign state in the region in recent memory. In a shocking operation that left hundreds dead, President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were illegally kidnapped from Venezuelan soil and transported to the United States, where they now face fabricated charges in a New York federal detention facility. In the two months since this act of war, a torrent of speculation has emerged from so-called experts and pundits across the political spectrum. This has followed three main lines: One . The operation’s success indicated treason at the highest levels of the Bolivarian Revolution. Two . Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and the remaining leadership have abandone...

Search This Blog