Sitaram Yechury: Passionate Commitment to Unity in Diversity
B V Raghavulu
RECONCILING with the fact that Comrade Sitaram Yechury is no longer with us is very difficult for his longtime colleagues, comrades, and friends. The void created by his permanent physical absence in the ongoing struggle to preserve syncretic India – Sitaram’s cherished vision of our country – against the ferocious onslaught of Hindutva communal fascistic forces is profound and difficult to fill in the near future. However, his unwavering commitment to the fight against communalism, his unparalleled dedication to the protection of democratic ideals, and his lifelong devotion to the cause of the oppressed and exploited will continue to inspire us to carry forward the legacy he has left behind.
He was easily the most cosmopolitan and internationalist among his colleagues, having travelled extensively across the world, speaking multiple languages with ease and finesse, and possessing an encyclopaedic knowledge on nearly every subject, which he wielded as a communist propagandist of the highest calibre. Yet, he also remained a quintessential product of Telugu progressive culture, reflected in his irrepressible humour, wit, and repartee.
His early life was indirectly entwined with the political developments of the Telugu people. Born in 1952 in Chennai, then the capital of the Madras province, he later moved to Guntur along with his grandfather, a high court judge, after the formation of the state of Andhra. Later in 1956, he moved to Hyderabad, the capital of the newly formed linguistic state of Andhra Pradesh.
In 1969, another political upheaval in Andhra Pradesh – the Telangana agitation for a separate state – compelled the young Yechury Sitarama Rao to relocate to Delhi to continue his studies without disruption. His brilliant academic journey took him from the Presidents’ Estate School to St. Stephen’s College, and later to JNU, where he became Comrade Sitaram Yechury and dedicated his entire life to the cause of the people, the country, and his party, the CPI(M).
Despite Delhi becoming his centre of activity, his connection to the politics of the Telugu people never faded. In fact, the rise of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh and its active role in shaping national politics coincided with Sitaram's increasing involvement in politics at the national level as a central functionary of the CPI(M).
In 1984, when NT Rama Rao's government was toppled by the Congress-led central government, the CPI(M) was at the forefront of mobilising support across the country. As a young cadre, Sitaram was actively involved in arranging for the MLAs who had come to Delhi to parade before the President of India to prove NT Rama Rao’s majority. Eventually, NT Rama Rao played an important role in rallying anti-Congress forces in the formation of the National Front in 1989-90, in which the CPI(M) played a key role. Later, during the formation of the United Front in 1996-98, with the then TDP president as the national convener, Sitaram, along with senior leaders of the Party, played an active role in the deliberations and negotiations.
Personally, I had the opportunity to witness his negotiating skills firsthand before the 2004 general elections. He and I were involved in negotiations with some prominent Congress leaders in Delhi. His hallmark negotiating style was advancing patiently, inch by inch, towards the desired outcome –without conceding but also without breaking.
Even though he lived far away in Delhi, discharging responsibilities at the national level, he was always available to support the Party and the people of the Telugu states. When the state was bifurcated in 2014, he played an important role in parliament by presenting the CPI(M)’s viewpoint to the nation. He exposed the ‘match-fixing’ between the Congress and the BJP in their decision to divide Andhra Pradesh against the interests of the people. Citing the famous poem by the great Telugu poet Gurajada Apparao, “A country does not merely mean its soil, a country means its people,” he questioned the malicious intentions behind making such a drastic decision that would harm the people of both regions.
He warned the Congress, “You are trying to sit on two stools; you will end up falling between both.” His warning proved true in the subsequent 2014 elections, where the Congress was routed in both Andhra and Telangana.
On July 28, 2016, a short-duration discussion was held in the Rajya Sabha on the status of the implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and the assurances given by the government to the House on February 20, 2014 regarding Andhra Pradesh. Speaking in Telugu, his mother tongue, he demanded the fulfillment of the promises and assurances. He declared in the House that the CPI(M) would not sit idle but would fight for the implementation of these assurances.
Sitaram was always deeply concerned about the dangers posed by communal forces to the unity of the country. He staunchly believed that the syncretic culture India inherited from its forefathers and foremothers is the only guarantee for the country to remain united. His passionate commitment to ‘unity in diversity’ as the cornerstone of India's uniqueness came from the depth of his conviction.
His farewell speech in the Rajya Sabha on August 10, 2017 illustrates this aspect of his personality. Posing the question of how his son’s identity should be described – “Is he a North Indian or a South Indian, an upper-caste or a lower-caste, Hindu or Muslim?” – he proudly answered that no label could be fixed on him except ‘Indian’. In the same speech, referring to an event from the freedom struggle – when Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Swami Kumaranand together moved a resolution demanding full independence at the Ahmedabad Session of the Indian National Congress in 1921 – Sitaram highlighted the significance of that moment, that a Moulana and a Swamy together moved the resolution. It symbolised the unity of the Indian people, regardless of their diverse identities.
Sitaram was born in South India and settled in North India. He could speak many languages and easily pass as a Telugu, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil speaker. His family resembled a mini India – a true example of unity in diversity.
Despite having been away from his native state since his youth, his Telugu-speaking skills were still good. Whenever he visited Telugu states, people would ask him to speak in Telugu. His speeches, laced with stories and anecdotes, both enthused and enlightened the audience. His style was simple, and he had a great sense of humour. He was a communist parliamentarian and a propagandist par excellence.
His ancestral home was in Kakinada, a town in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. His mother lived there, while his maternal uncle, a former chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh, resided in Hyderabad. Whenever Sitaram visited the Telugu states, he would squeeze some time out from his itinerary to visit them. His mother's only wish was for him to come home, at least occasionally, and eat the food she cooked. Sitaram tried to fulfill this wish as often as possible. This was the only solace he could offer his loved ones, given his unrelenting and hectic work schedule, which continued until his final journey.
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