Sitaram Yechury
Encyclopedia
Sitaram Yechury (born August 12, 1952) is an India
n politician and one of the most prominent communist
leaders in the country. He is a senior member of the politburo
of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
and the party's Parliamentary group leader.
. In 1975, he completed his M.A., first class, in Economics, from Jawaharlal Nehru University
(JNU) in Delhi. Subsequently, he joined JNU for a Ph.D. degree which he could not complete due to his arrest during The Emergency.
He was underground for some time, organising resistance to the Emergency, before his arrest in 1975. After the Emergency, he was elected as President of the JNU Students' Union thrice during one year (1977–78). He is the only JNU president to hold this unique distinction.
In 1978, he was elected as All India Joint Secretary of SFI, and went on the become the All India President of SFI. He left SFI in 1986. In 1984, he was invited to the Central Committee of the CPI(M)
. He was elected to the Central Committee in the CPI(M) XII Congress in 1985, to the Central Secretariat at the Thirteenth Congress in 1988 and to the Politburo at the Fourteenth Congress in 1992.
He was elected to Rajya Sabha from West Bengal
in July 2005.
He is one of the most prolific Left writers in the country, having authored many books. His book, Saffron Brigade written after the demolition of Babri Masjid is a best-selling Left work. An avid writer, he is a columnist with Hindustan Times
, a widely circulated daily.
A widely travelled person, Yechury is one of the few Indian leaders to have met legendary figures like Fidel Castro
, Yasir Arafat and Nelson Mandela more than once. He has the rare distinction of having addressed the British parliament and top British and American universities as a communist leader. He has been invited to address the students of IIM, Calcutta. Yechury has represented his party at many international forums and communist conferences. Recently, he played a pivotal role in convincing the Nepali Maoists to embrace parliamentary democracy.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n politician and one of the most prominent communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
leaders in the country. He is a senior member of the politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
and the party's Parliamentary group leader.
Political career
Yechury joined the Students Federation of India (SFI) in 1974. A year later, he joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist)Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
. In 1975, he completed his M.A., first class, in Economics, from Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University, also known as JNU, is located in New Delhi, the capital of India. It is mainly a research oriented postgraduate University with approximately 5,500 students and a faculty strength of around 550.-History:...
(JNU) in Delhi. Subsequently, he joined JNU for a Ph.D. degree which he could not complete due to his arrest during The Emergency.
He was underground for some time, organising resistance to the Emergency, before his arrest in 1975. After the Emergency, he was elected as President of the JNU Students' Union thrice during one year (1977–78). He is the only JNU president to hold this unique distinction.
In 1978, he was elected as All India Joint Secretary of SFI, and went on the become the All India President of SFI. He left SFI in 1986. In 1984, he was invited to the Central Committee of the CPI(M)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
. He was elected to the Central Committee in the CPI(M) XII Congress in 1985, to the Central Secretariat at the Thirteenth Congress in 1988 and to the Politburo at the Fourteenth Congress in 1992.
He was elected to Rajya Sabha from West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
in July 2005.
He is one of the most prolific Left writers in the country, having authored many books. His book, Saffron Brigade written after the demolition of Babri Masjid is a best-selling Left work. An avid writer, he is a columnist with Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
, a widely circulated daily.
A widely travelled person, Yechury is one of the few Indian leaders to have met legendary figures like Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
, Yasir Arafat and Nelson Mandela more than once. He has the rare distinction of having addressed the British parliament and top British and American universities as a communist leader. He has been invited to address the students of IIM, Calcutta. Yechury has represented his party at many international forums and communist conferences. Recently, he played a pivotal role in convincing the Nepali Maoists to embrace parliamentary democracy.