Maha: Wide Spectrum in Mumbai Condoles the Demise of Sitaram Yechury
Uday Narkar
“SITARAM Yechury’s untimely demise is no doubt a huge loss to the CPI(M)”, said veteran leader and NCP president Sharad Pawar, “but it is perhaps an even greater loss to the unity of secular forces. Just as he ably navigated the ship of his Party, he was instrumental in providing ideological clarity to bringing together most of the forces opposed to the BJP.”
Sharad Pawar was addressing a packed audience that had gathered to pay homage to CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre at Mumbai, on September 24, 2024. The public condolence meeting was organised jointly by the Maha Vikas Aghadi, constituents of the INDIA bloc and several progressive social movements in the state.
Recounting his close association with Sitaram for over two decades, Sharad Pawar appreciated the sterling leadership he provided to both the CPI(M) and the secular opposition. He especially highlighted Sitaram’s role in using the parliamentary forum to focus on the issues confronting the various toiling sections and his defence of the foundational values of the Indian Constitution. His rational arguments, yet oozing with a passion for the values he held dear to heart, made many members of the Rajya Sabha rush to the house to hear him speak.
For him, the pinnacle of Sitaram’s contribution was the incomparable role he played in the formation of the INDIA bloc. “He succeeded where we fell short,” was how he candidly explained Sitaram’s knack of reaching out to the various shades of the secular opposition. That immensely helped reduce the numbers of the BJP in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election.
Nana Patole, president of the Maharashtra unit of the INC, said, “I, in my apprenticeship in politics, was impressed by Sitaram’s leadership of the student movement and my respect for him kept on growing with each passing year. We have lost a leader who fought with tremendous zeal for the unity and integrity of the country”, he said.
Nilotpal Basu, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M), brought out with examples Sitaram’s multifaceted contribution to politics, society and culture of the country. He especially underlined Sitaram’s creative approach to bringing unity among the forces opposed to the RSS in spite of the ideological differences among them. This he could do because he held that concrete analysis of concrete conditions was the crux of Marxist dialectics.
Polit Bureau member Ashok Dhawale narrated his close work with Sitaram right from the days of the Students’ Federation of India, through the various struggles of the Party and mass organisations. He highlighted the important role that Sitaram played as in-charge of Maharashtra for a long time. Sitaram’s consistent and spirited defence of the idea of India and of the fundamental principles of the Constitution of India would always be cherished.
Jayant Patil, general secretary of the Peasants’ and Workers’ Party (PWP) appreciated the leadership that Sitaram gave to the massive people’s struggle that resulted in quashing of the huge Maha Mumbai SEZ promoted by Mukesh Ambani. Adv. Subhash Lande, CPI state secretary, Shyam Gohil, CPI(ML) state secretary, Hussain Dalwai and Kumar Ketkar, former Congress MPs, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant and Rajendra Gavai of RPI also lauded Sitaram’s work.
Veteran journalist and activist Teesta Setalwad, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Tushar Gandhi on behalf of Bharat Jodo Abhiyan, eminent dalit author Arjun Dangle, Ulka Mahajan of Sarvahara Jan Andolan, Sanjay Mango of NAPM, renowned Marxist intellectual and a former Bhima Koregaon case detenue Anand Teltumbde, Dhananajay Shinde of AAP and former state secretary of the CPI(M) Narsayya Adam also paid rich tributes.
Uday Narkar, Maharashtra state secretary of CPI(M) compered the condolence meeting.
Many eminent personalities including film director Sayeed Mirza, theatre director Prasanna, Prof. R Ramkumar, Uday and Nilima Ranadive, Gautam Navlakha and others attended the condolence meeting and paid their homage.
A short video presentation on Sitaram was screened at the beginning and the meeting ended with good renderings of two songs, ‘Tu zinda hai, to zindagi ke jeet par yakeen kar’ and ‘Lal jhanda lekar Comrade aage badhte jayenge’. Finally, a two minute silence was observed to bid adieu to the revolutionary leader after which the hall resounded with slogans ‘Red Salute to Sitaram Yechury’ and ‘Sitaram Yechury Amar Rahen’!
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