Sitaram Yechury: A Revolutionary Journey from Student Leader to Marxist Icon

Veteran Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury was a brilliant student and an influential figure at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University during the Emergency. He led significant student protests against then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, demanding her resignation as the university's chancellor. A prolific writer, Yechury made substantial contributions to political thought and student activism.

Veteran Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury distinguished himself early on as a brilliant student and a CBSE topper. He earned a place in history when he led students of Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to demand the resignation of then prime minister Indira Gandhi as the university's chancellor.

In 1977, Yechury led a group of students to Gandhi's residence, presenting a memorandum for her resignation. Recalling the tense period of the Emergency, Yechury noted arrests notices were often pasted on students' hostel doors. Despite obstacles, the students marched to the residence, and surprisingly, Gandhi met them personally, hearing out their demands.

A photo capturing Yechury reading the memorandum to Gandhi remains a significant historical artifact. An outstanding student, Yechury topped his CBSE exams and excelled in his undergraduate and postgraduate studies in economics. He became a leader in the Students' Federation of India, was thrice elected as JNU Student Union President, and joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 1975. Yechury has also been a prolific writer and critic of Hindutva ideology.

(With inputs from agencies.)