Sitaram Yechury's family donates his body to AIIMS for research
The family of veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury, who passed away on Thursday, has donated his body to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. The donation is intended for teaching and research purposes. Yechury, aged 72, died at 3:05pm after battling a severe respiratory infection at AIIMS.
Yechury's health battle and political legacy
Yechury had been receiving treatment at AIIMS since August 19 for a pneumonia-like chest infection. He was kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and under constant medical supervision, but his condition deteriorated in recent days. Born on August 12, 1952, in Chennai, Yechury was a prominent figure in Indian politics and had been serving as the General Secretary of the CPI(M) since 2015. He also served as a Rajya Sabha MP for 12 years, from 2005 to 2017.
Yechury's political journey and contributions
Yechury's political journey began during his college days at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where he emerged as a key figure in the Students's Federation of India (SFI). He served as president of the JNU Students' Union three times from 1977 and 1988. Alongside Prakash Karat, Yechury played a substantial role in the expansion of the leftist influence at JNU.
Nation mourns Yechury's demise, tributes pour in
He gained to prominence in 1977 after stopping then-PM Indira Gandhi from attending a JNU event and reading out the students' demand for her resignation in her presence. In recent times, Yechury, however, formed a strong bond with former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, much to the anger of some CPI(M) and Congress officials.
CPI(M) part of the INDIA bloc
During his tenure as CPI(M) chief, the party got into a pre-poll alliance for the first time with Congress and other opposition parties and formed the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) last year. In the 2024 general elections, a CPI(M) member was elected for the first time from Rajasthan. However, the party and the wider Left bloc did not make up for lost ground, especially in West Bengal, which they had ruled for 34 years.
