Veteran Left leader and CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away today at noon. He was 72 years old and was being treated for a respiratory ailment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. The CPM leader was admitted to the emergency department of AIIMS on August 19th and was later shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He had a pneumonia-like infection, but doctors did not reveal the exact nature of the illness. Yechury had recently undergone cataract surgery and was recovering.

Yechury was a member of the CPM’s highest decision-making body, the Politburo, for over thirty years and was a Rajya Sabha MP from 2005 to 2017. A graduate of St. Stephen’s College in Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, Yechury began his political career as a student. He was studying economics at JNU when the Indira Gandhi government declared Emergency in 1975, and he was arrested along with many other leaders who would later play key roles in national politics. His doctorate was not completed.

After his release from prison, Mr. Yechury was elected president of the JNU Students’ Union three times. In 1992, he was elected to the Politburo. Four years later, he was one of the leaders who played a key role in drafting the United Front government’s Common Minimum Programme. Yechury also played a key role in forming the ruling coalition of the UPA government in 2004.

Rahul Gandhi, Congress member and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, expressed his condolences and described him as a “friend” and “guardian of Indian ideals”. “Sitaram Yechury ji was a friend. A protector of the Idea of India with a deep understanding of our country. I will miss the long discussions we used to have. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and followers in this hour of grief.”

Union minister Nitin Gadkari said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of Sitaram Yechury. “His contributions to public life will always be remembered. Heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time. Om Shanti,” Gadkari wrote in a post. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also expressed her condolences. She said in the post, “Sad to know that Sri Sitaram Yechury has passed away. I knew the veteran parliamentarian that he was and his demise will be a loss for national politics. I express my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.”

-Sanyogita