1952: Born in Madras (now Chennai) on August 12, 1952, to Sarveswara and Kalpakam Yechury. He completed his schooling in Hyderabad.
Sitaram Yechury's life was marked by activism, leadership, and unwavering commitment to his ideals. Here’s a timeline of key moments in his life and political career.
1952: Born in Madras (now Chennai) on August 12, 1952, to Sarveswara and Kalpakam Yechury. He completed his schooling in Hyderabad.
1969: Shifted to Delhi as the Telangana protests spread in Andhra Pradesh. He studied Economics at Delhi University’s St. Stephen’s College and later pursued his master’s degree at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
1974: Joined the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the Leftist student organisation.
1975: Became a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI (M)].
1975-1977: During the Emergency, Yechury organised resistance against the government. He is arrested in 1975.
1977-78: Elected thrice as JNUSU (Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union) president.
1984: Elected All India President of SFI.
1985: Became a member of the Central Committee of CPI(M).
1989: Inducted in the Central Secretariat of the party.
1992: Elected to the Politburo, the highest body of the CPI(M).
2004: Worked on building the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which formed the government at the Centre.
2005: Elected to Rajya Sabha from West Bengal. He served as a Rajya Sabha member for 15 years.
2015: Became general secretary of the CPI (M), succeeding Prakash Karat.
2018: Re-elected as CPI(M) general secretary for the second time.
2020-2021: He played a comrade for protesting farmers and migrants during Covid-19.
2022: Re-elected as CPI(M) general secretary for the third time.
2023: Played a crucial role in the formation of the INDIA alliance of opposition parties.
September 12, 2024: Sitaram Yechury passes away at the age of 72 due to acute respiratory tract infection.
He is survived by his wife, Seema Chisti, and daughter, Akhila Yechury.