The Jammu and Kashmir state committee of the CPI(M) organised a function in Srinagar on August 30 to commemorate the second death anniversary of Sitaram Yechury. More than two hundred party activists and sympathisers participated in the programme and paid rich tributes to the memory of the great revolutionary, Marxist thinker and mass leader. The Party had given the call to commemorate the death anniversary of Yechury during the period from August 12, his birth anniversary, to September 12, his death anniversary.
Floral tributes were paid to Yechury by M Y Tarigami, Central Committee member; Gh. Nabi Malik, senior CPI(M) leader; Mohd. Abass Rather, state secretary, CPI(M), J&K; and Mohd. Yaqoob Ganaie, Mohd. Afzal Parrey, Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Lone, Ramesh Kumar Bhat, Latifa Ganie, Abdul Rashid Zainpora, Abdul Rashid Pandit and others.
Speaking on the occasion, Mohd. Abass Rather highlighted the pioneering role played by Yechury in building and strengthening a vibrant and viable student movement during the late 1970s, particularly during his leadership of the students’ union at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). He said that Yechury’s political journey reflected his deep commitment to democratic values, secularism and the mobilisation of youth and students in defence of social justice. He also recalled Yechury’s exceptional ability to bring together diverse opposition forces on common democratic issues and said that his capacity to build unity among opposition ranks against the regressive policies of the BJP-led dispensation remains unmatched.
Gh. Nabi Malik, recalling the political acumen and organisational competence of Yechury, said that he remained steadfast throughout his life in bringing together democratic and secular forces across the country. He said Yechury consistently worked to counter the divisive, communal and pro-corporate agenda pursued by the Hindutva-corporate forces and tirelessly defended the idea of India based on plurality, diversity, secularism and social justice.
Addressing the gathering, M Y Tarigami said that the passing away of Yechury at a critical juncture in the country’s history was a profound loss to the democratic and progressive movement and a major setback to the cause of plurality, secularism and communal harmony.
Recalling Yechury’s close association with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Tarigami said that during the devastating floods in Kashmir in 2014, Yechury personally visited several affected areas and ensured that the party’s relief and rehabilitation efforts were mobilised effectively to extend assistance to the flood victims. His visit, Tarigami said, reflected his deep concern for people facing hardship and his belief that political organisations must stand with the people in times of distress.
Referring to the 2016 turmoil in Kashmir, Tarigami recalled that when a parliamentary delegation led by then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Kashmir, Yechury played an important role in persuading the delegation to meet and listen to representatives and leaders of the separatist camp. He said that although the initiative did not yield the desired outcome, Yechury’s intervention reflected his firm belief that dialogue, engagement and listening to all stakeholders were indispensable for addressing the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
He was unequivocal in his opposition to the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A in August 2019 and the subsequent bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Yechury articulated the historical and constitutional background of Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to the Union of India and emphasized the significance of Article 370 as the constitutional bridge governing the relationship between the Union and the State. He maintained that the manner in which Article 370 was abrogated and the State was reorganised was unconstitutional and undemocratic and could not serve the national interest. Tarigami recalled that when the entire political leadership in Kashmir was placed under house arrest during the intervening night of August 4 and 5, Yechury approached the Supreme Court seeking permission for his release on health grounds so that he could travel to AIIMS, New Delhi, for medical treatment. Subsequently, in Delhi, they jointly addressed a press conference and highlighted before the national media the assault on constitutional and democratic rights in Jammu and Kashmir.
Yechury’s political legacy is not confined to the CPI(M) alone but belongs to the wider democratic and progressive movement of the country. His life demonstrated that political differences and difficult circumstances cannot be allowed to weaken the struggle for justice, democracy, secularism and social equality. The most important lesson to be drawn from Yechury’s life is the need to remain steadfast and unwavering in the struggle to unite democratic and peace-loving forces, peasants, workers, youth and all progressive sections of the society against exploitation, injustice and oppression. At a time when the democratic institutions and constitutional values face serious challenges, his legacy, assumes even greater significance.
The gathering resolved to carry forward the ideals and political legacy of Yechury by strengthening the democratic, secular and progressive forces and by intensifying the struggle for the rights and aspirations of working people, farmers, youth and other oppressed and marginalised sections of society.
