Sitaram Yechury's Final Journey: Body Donated to AIIMS for Medical Research

Wrapped in the red flag of the CPIM, veteran leader Sitaram Yechury's body was donated to AIIMS for medical research on Saturday amid chants of Lal Salaam. Earlier, tributes were paid to Yechury at the Communist Party of India Marxist headquarters at AKG Bhavan, where his remains were brought from his residence in the morning.

Yechury's mortal remains, draped in the CPIM flag, were kept at the party office. Party leaders, including politburo members Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, Pinarayi Vijayan, and M A Baby, paid their respects to him. Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi also visited AKG Bhavan with colleagues Jairam Ramesh and Rajeev Shukla to pay her last respects.

Political Leaders Pay Homage

NCP president Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar and Sachin Pilot were among those who honoured Yechury. DMK leaders Udhayanidhi Stalin, T R Baalu, Dayanidhi Maran, RJD MP Manoj Jha, and AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha, and Gopal Rai also paid their last respects.

Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Hai, Palestinian Ambassador Adnan Abu Alhaija, former Nepalese Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, former CIC Wajahat Habibullah, and historian Romila Thapar were among the dignitaries who paid tribute to Yechury. Hundreds of supporters and party members gathered at AKG Bhavan for the occasion.

Final Journey

A march was organised as Yechury's body was taken to AIIMS for donation. Family members accompanied the body in an ambulance while CPIM leaders and supporters marched from the party office to Jantar Mantar. Yechury passed away on Thursday at a hospital after battling a lung infection.

The 72-year-old leader had been critically ill for several days and was on respiratory support while being treated for an acute respiratory tract infection in AIIMS' ICU. He was admitted to the hospital on August 19.

On Friday, Yechury's body was taken from AIIMS to his alma mater Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Hundreds of students and faculty members paid their last respects to him there. As a student at JNU, Yechury joined the Students Federation of India (SFI) in 1974 and was arrested during Emergency a few months later.

Legacy and Personal Life

Yechury served as president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) three times during 1977-78. Later on Friday evening, his body was taken to his residence where senior CPIM leaders paid tributes. BJP president J P Nadda also visited his residence to pay his respects.

Yechury is survived by his wife Seema Chishti and two children—Akhila and Danish. His elder son Ashish Yechury died of COVID-19 in 2021. He was previously married to Indrani Mazumdar.

The contributions of Sitaram Yechury to Indian politics and his dedication to the CPIM will be remembered by many. His legacy continues through his work and the impact he had on those around him.