The untimely demise of the Leftist stalwart Sitaram Yechury on Thursday evoked the expected reactions from his comrades and groups aligned to the ideology that he assiduously followed for his entire adult life. But it is a measure of the former Rajya Sabha member and CPI-M leader’s greatness and significance in India’s politics that his passing away brought forth a barrage of messages of solidarity and condolences from across the political spectrum, even from leaders of the BJP who stood at the other end of it. A student leader who emerged during the difficult days of the Emergency, and was famously photographed reading out his student organisation’s demand that the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi step down in her presence, Yechury was a veritable encyclopedia on subjects which he drew upon during the past 50 years in politics.
In the turbulence, Yechury stood firm on his political ideology without compromises, from extending support to agitating farmers and speaking up against Israel’s war on Palestine, but also found the middle ground to forge coalitions with political leaders with a range of different ideologies. Dr Manmohan Singh government’s story will be incomplete without a chapter on Yechury. His commitment to the poor of India was beyond question, most recently when he made it a point to thank the staff of the RS in his concluding speech. His steadfastness to the idea of secular India was apparent in words and deeds. A multilingual speaker and writer, his columns bore his trademark bent towards academics put forth in an easy manner. That he was in politics for so many decades but did not invite even accusations of corrupt practices is a testament to his integrity.
Yechury had much to contribute to India’s politics in these tumultuous times. His steady hand and easy smile will be missed. They don’t make politicians like Yechury any more.
