CPM general secretary and left leader Sitaram Yechury died Thursday afternoon. He was 72 and was undergoing treatment for pneumonia at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
He is survived by his wife and senior journalist Seema Chishti, daughter Akhila and son Daanish. His 34-year-old son, Ashish Yechury, died of Covid in 2021.
An alumnus of Delhi’s St Stephen’s College and Jawaharlal Nehru University, the late leader started his political career with the Students’ Federation of India and joined the CPIM in 1975. He was pursuing his doctorate in Economics from JNU when the Indira Gandhi government imposed the Emergency in 1975 and he was arrested along with many other leaders who would later play a key role in national politics. His PhD remained incomplete.
Cutting across party lines Yetchury was lived and liked due to his charming manners by all.
He also commanded great respect amongst politicians in the country.