Below we publish the First Sitaram Yechury Memorial Lecture delivered by Professor Irfan Habib on September 15, 2025 at HKS Surjeet Bhavan, in New Delhi. “In India today, we should not only propagate socialism, but we should also propagate full democracy—that India should have a socialism which its people want, for which we have convinced its people.”WE are gathered on the first anniversary of Comrade Sitaram’s passing away.

IN the heart of West Bengal, the Ganga River is not merely eroding its banks; it is tearing at the very fabric of society. This is not just a natural disaster; it is a profound betrayal of the people by their governments. In the districts of Malda and Murshidabad, entire villages are being swallowed by the river's merciless current, a relentless tide of destruction that has left thousands of families utterly destitute. Throughout the monsoon season, the people of India have witnessed nature's fury, with Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand experiencing devastating flash floods.

WHILE the tribal belts and blocks were envisaged by the government of Assam immediately after independence as an effective mechanism to protect land – especially for various tribal communities of the Brahmaputra Valley – the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution was framed for the administration of the hill tribes of erstwhile Assam.

PUNJAB is facing one of the worst floods in recent decades. While all 23 districts have been affected, the situation is most severe in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, and Hoshiarpur. According to recent reports, the 2025 floods in Punjab are being described as the worst since 1988, causing large-scale devastation.Approximately 1.62 lakh hectares (around 4 lakh acres) of agricultural land have been submerged, severely damaging crops such as paddy, maize, cotton, and vegetables.

MILLIONS of people in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, and other regions are suffering unthinkable agony due to unprecedented floods – despite weather forecasts of very heavy monsoon rains issued months in advance. Nothing worthwhile was done by those responsible for the crucial duty of protecting people’s lives and livelihoods.Shockingly, Himachal Pradesh is facing worst devastation even before it could recover from the cloudbursts and landslides that struck just last year.