Remembering Sitaram Yechury: Gentleman communist, humanist at heart

On 12 September 2024, India lost Sitaram Yechury, one of the most urbane and articulate faces of the Left movement. For half-a-century, he remained a constant presence in student politics, Parliament, coalition negotiations, and on the public stage as a defender of democracy and secularism. One year later, his absence is still palpable — not just in the ranks of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), but across the political spectrum.

At a time when public debate is often reduced to hostility and abuse, Yechury’s style — measured, witty, deeply informed, and always respectful — feels even more missed. He was often described as the “gentleman communist,” a leader who combined ideological conviction with humanist warmth.

A scholar before a politician

Born on 12 August 1952 in Chennai to a Telugu-speaking family, Yechury grew up in Hyderabad before moving to Delhi. His academic journey began at St Stephen’s College, where he excelled in economics, and later at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), which was just emerging as a hub of radical student politics.

He quickly earned a reputation as a brilliant student. His handwritten notes on economic theory were so lucid that they circulated in cyclostyled and xeroxed form for years at JNU’s Ganga Dhaba and nearby bookshops. Generations of students, from MA aspirants to UPSC hopefuls, swore by 'Yechury’s notes'.

Had life taken a different turn, he might well have been a celebrated academic or formidable lawyer. But history intervened.

Baptism by Emergency fire

The Emergency of 1975 proved decisive. As president of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Yechury was thrust into the frontlines of resistance. He led protests against authoritarianism, most famously when students forced Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to step down as JNU chancellor. Arrested and jailed, the young Yechury emerged from prison with his ideological moorings strengthened and his commitment to political struggle unshakeable.

In later years, he would often remind students that the lessons of the Emergency — about state overreach and the fragility of democracy — were as relevant in the present as they were in the 1970s.

Rise in the party

Yechury formally joined the CPI(M) in 1974 and steadily rose through its ranks. By the mid-1980s, he was inducted into the Politburo. Unlike some of his comrades who remained rooted in state politics, Yechury developed a national profile, thanks to his gift for articulation and his fluency in English, Hindi, and Telugu.

He was elected twice to the Rajya Sabha (2005–17), where he became known for his sharp but civil interventions. His speeches often combined historical sweep with contemporary urgency. Whether questioning economic reforms, defending workers’ rights, or challenging communal rhetoric, Yechury’s words carried both clarity and conviction.

Coalition-builder and negotiator

If Yechury was a parliamentarian of substance, he was also a shrewd political negotiator. As a close confidante of Harkishen Singh Surjeet, he was central to the CPI(M)’s coalition-building efforts during the 1990s and 2000s.

In 1996, when the United Front government was stitched together under H.D. Deve Gowda and later I.K. Gujral, Yechury was one of the architects behind the scenes. Again in 2004, when the UPA-I government came to power under Dr Manmohan Singh, he was the Left’s most visible face in supporting the coalition.

The Left’s outside support was crucial in shaping pro-poor legislation like the Right to Information Act and MGNREGA, which changed the lives of millions. Even when the alliance soured over the Indo-US nuclear deal in 2008, Yechury’s pragmatism allowed him to keep channels open with Congress leaders, reflecting his belief that political differences should not preclude dialogue.

Crusader against communalism

For all his tactical skills, Yechury’s core political identity was shaped by one conviction: his unyielding opposition to communal politics. From his student days to his last public address, he consistently warned that Hindutva majoritarianism posed the greatest danger to India’s plural democracy.

His interventions were not merely ideological; they were deeply moral. “Secularism is not a slogan,” he would often say, “it is the guarantee of equal citizenship for every Indian.” In Parliament and outside, he stood shoulder to shoulder with minorities, Dalits, and all those threatened by exclusionary politics.

In a political climate where polarisation became the norm, Yechury’s voice — firm but never shrill — remained one of the clearest in defending India’s constitutional values.

Personal losses, public grace

Behind the calm public figure lay a man acquainted with deep personal grief. Yechury lost his first wife, journalist Indrani Mazumdar, in 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic dealt an even crueller blow when his elder son Ashish passed away in 2021 at just 34.

His response, however, was marked by dignity and composure. He shared his grief publicly, reminding citizens of the pandemic’s human cost and holding the government accountable for lapses in public health. His personal losses only deepened his empathy for others.

Leading the CPI(M) in difficult times

In 2015, Yechury succeeded Prakash Karat as general-secretary of the CPI(M), a position he held until 2022. He assumed leadership at a time when the Left’s national influence was shrinking. Though unable to arrest the electoral decline, he kept the party relevant in national conversations, especially on issues of secularism, social justice, and federalism.

Under his stewardship, the CPI(M) sought to re-energise its base in Kerala, where the Left Democratic Front continued to thrive, while struggling to regain lost ground in West Bengal and Tripura. Even in these difficult years, Yechury’s personal stature ensured that the CPI(M)’s voice carried weight disproportionate to its numbers.

Admired across party lines

Yechury was respected not just within his party but also across the aisle. Leaders from Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, NCP, and even the BJP paid rich tributes upon his passing. Many remembered his ability to disagree without rancour, to argue fiercely but dine convivially afterwards.

Journalists often noted his accessibility. He was generous with insights, candid in off-the-record conversations, and unfailingly courteous. Students remembered him for his ability to explain Marxism without jargon, grounding theory in everyday reality.

This rare mix of intellect, civility, and accessibility made him one of the most recognisable and admired faces of Indian communism since Jyoti Basu.

Legacy beyond party lines

Ultimately, Yechury’s legacy cannot be measured in electoral victories or parliamentary statistics alone. It lies in the example he set for political conduct: erudite without arrogance, ideological without dogmatism, principled without rigidity.

He represented a kind of politics increasingly rare in India — one that believed opponents were adversaries, not enemies; one that saw dialogue and compromise not as weakness, but as the essence of democracy.

On his first death anniversary, Yechury’s absence feels particularly stark in a political culture marked by stridency and intolerance. Leaders like him, who could bridge divides with intellect and grace, are few and far between.

For the Left, his loss is irreplaceable. For India, it is the loss of a public figure who embodied civility, conviction, and compassion in equal measure.

Laal salaam, Comrade.

Hasnain Naqvi is a former member of the history faculty at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai. More of his writing may be read here