The late CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury's pragmatism was such that even his political rivals did not hesitate to consult him whenever they needed him.
Published Sep 27, 2024 | 4:00 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 27, 2024 | 4:00 PM
Sitaram Yechury receiving the Lokmat Parliamentary Award 2017 from the then-vice president M Hamid Ansari on 19 July 2017. Former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, former Governor of Punjab Shivraj Patil, former Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu, and the then-members of Parliament are also seen. (Vice President's Secretariat)
The state of Maharashtra had always been a place of pride for Comrade Sitaram Yechury, who passed away in Delhi on 12 September due to a lung infection.
The nation paying tributes to a Marxist intellectual on this scale is a rare phenomenon, more particularly when the political influence of the party he had led has been dwindling. Even in death, Sitaram held the CPI(M) banner high.
People from different walks of life are still coming forward to share their grief and recollect their acquaintances with Sitaram. Condolence meetings became events of Opposition unity across states. One such meeting was held on 24 September in Mumbai.
Against this backdrop, I wish to share some interesting aspects of Sitaram’s association with Maharashtra and its politics.
It is a known fact that the ideologies of Sitaram and Uddhav Thackeray are polls apart. Sitaram stood his ground despite political cyclones hitting the nation as well as the party. He was occasionally targeted personally because of his firm political commitments.
In the winter session of Parliament, Shiv Sena members in Rajya Sabha planned to move an adjournment motion on the death of their party patriarch Bal Thackeray. Sitaram vehemently opposed the move. Shiv Sena took objection to Sitaram’s stand in Rajya Sabha and gave a call to Shiv sainiks to disturb Sitaram’s public meetings in Maharashtra in general, and in Mumbai in particular. Accordingly, Shiv sainiks were mobilised.
Incidentally, around that time, Sitaram was to address the state convention of the All India Insurance Employees Association at Dadar — Shiv Sena’s stronghold — in Maharashtra. There were hectic parleys with the association leadership to differ the meeting schedule. Finally, it was decided to proceed with the meeting.
The state government headed by the then-chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, too, tried to persuade Sitaram to skip the meeting citing the threat. But Sitaram was reluctant to reconsider his plan.
The opposition to Sitaram attending the meeting reflected the animosity over ideological differences. From such an antagonistic position, Uddhav Thackeray — in the changed political climate — agreed to sail with the INDIA block when the BJP worked hard to overthrow him from power. Those were the days when hectic parleys were made by the BJP to ensure the swearing-in of its puppet government after overthrowing the Uddhav regime.
To save his government, Uddhav contacted senior leaders of various political organisations in the country. He tried to reach out to Sitaram, who was then attending a meeting in Bengal. After trying all possible channels, the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office contacted me, since my number was still listed as that of the political secretary to Sitaram.
Sensing the urgency, I contacted Sitaram and updated him about the call. The officer concerned in the CMO called me back after 15 minutes and thanked me for making sure that Uddhav spoke to Sitaram.
Sitaram advised Uddhav to stick to his position and take the challenge thrown by dissident elements in the Shiv Sena to the Supreme Court, and all other possible constitutional forums. The advice given by Sitaram proved correct when the Supreme Court ruled that it could not restore Udhhav’s chief ministership as he had voluntarily surrendered the position.
Though I left Sitaram’s office around 2014, I still used to get such calls of political importance. Uddhav later joined the INDIA block and agreed to work with the formulae conceptualised by Sitaram to oust the BJP from power.
Uddhav even agreed to share seats with the Congress and NCP while retaining a major share for his party. The Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Shard Pawar), and Congress trio gave a good fight to the BJP and stopped it in its tracks in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.
This was made possible only because of Sitaram’s pragmatic approach in handling leaders of different dispensations, including parties on the other extreme.
Such a pragmatic approach compelled Shiv Sena, which had once given a call to disturb Sitaram’s public meetings in Mumbai, to rally around the idea of INDIA Sitaram presented before the Opposition parties. This is one of several instances of political establishments reaching out to Sitaram for advice and guidance when they face critical situations.
(Veeraiah Konduri worked as Sitaram Yechury’s Political Secretary and was also associated with him in various capacities, including compiling several books. He is currently a practicing advocate in Hyderabad. Views are personal. Edited by Majnu Babu).
