Silence of grief grips Alimuddin Street on Yechury’s death

Kolkata: A pall of gloom hung over the CPIM’s party headquarters at Alimuddin Street in Kolkata where the party comrades bid adieu to their veteran “Marxist philosopher and guide”, CPI(M’s) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who breathed his last on Thursday after battling death for 24 days at AIIMS

in New Delhi.

Chief Minister & TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee wrote on X: “ 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.” Abhishek Banerjee, TMC national general secretary too expressed his

condolences, recalling Yechury’s “simplicity”, “profound understanding of public policy” and “keen insight into Parliamentary affairs”. Following the news of his demise, which came close on the heels of veteran Marxist and former Chief Minister of Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya’s death, CPI(M) leaders in Bengal recalled their fond memories associated with Yechury who, according to them, will always be remembered for his gentle manner and unflinching boldness in the face of adversity.

Md Salim, CPI(M) state secretary, announced that in every department and organisation of CPI(M’s) Bengal unit, the party flag will be kept at half-mast till Yechury’s body is donated for

medical research.

Describing him as a Marxist philosopher, writer, and an inspiring figure for the youth activists, Salim recalled Yechury’s bravado during

the Emergency.

“When Indira Gandhi came to meet agitating students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Yechury, who was the president of the University’s students’ union, walked up to her with a memorandum of demands, one of which was that she has to step down from the position of Chancellor of JNU. Indira Gandhi accepted that. Since then, no Prime Minister ever became Chancellor of JNU. He fought for democratic rights and civil liberties,” Salim said.

“My association with Yechury dates back to my

student days.

I attended the Mumbai conference of SFI where I got acquainted with him. It’s more than a four-and-a-half-decade-long association. He was always in charge of student and youth movements. We got his guidance. He was an amiable character.

Though ideologically there were some people who were detractors, Yechury was ideologically sound. His mooring on the basic understanding of Marxism and Leninism is not only praiseworthy but also inspired us to learn,”

Salim recalled.

Sitaram Yechury was a two term Rajya Sabha Member from Bengal.