MELBOURNE: During my about five years in the Business India TV – TVI News Bureau, one of my news beat were the Left Parties, apart from the Supreme Court and entertainment (films & the film industry). Sometimes, exceptionally, I also went to the daily or occasional news briefings of the Congress, BJP and other political parties. It was duty to go, back to office after the shoot, and file the story.
The Left Parties beat normally had CPI and CPI-M news briefings. Exceptionally, it was CPI-ML also. The CPI-M briefings were always at the AKG Bhawan, Gole Market, and Harkishan Singh Surjeet, Sitaram Yechury or Prakash Karat addressed the media and took questions. Sitaram Yechury’s briefings were quite candid and in running language (English or Hindi). Despite being a Telugu speaking man, Sitaram Yechury was good in Hindi. A rarity. Obviously, the Hindi journalists were pleased. After the briefings, normally, Sitaram Yechury mingled with media persons for any further clarifications. Despite being a busy politician, he was sober and never in a hurry to go.
At times, I went for his byte and he talked on camera in his office room. He had a good idea of how long a byte should be and so was short and compact, unlike some other politicians (non-Left) who spoke very long sentences. Those were the days of the United Front government in New Delhi, and the CPI-M was supporting it from outside. The PM’s were either Devagoda or I. K. Gujral and CPI’s Inderjeet Gupta was the Home Minister. My interactions with Sitaram Yechury were friendly and professional and with his recent demise, I feel, India lost a good human, activist, and a politician.
After migrating to Australia, I had one encounter with Sitaram Yechury. I was visiting New Delhi and joined a media-trip to Amritsar, Punjab, for a conference about the sufferings of people during the partition on both the sides. Little did I know, Sitaram Yechury was a key speaker there. Though, I do not remember about his speech, we had lot’s of interactions on the sidelines of the conference. One revelation was his love for Hindi movie songs.
A top leader of the CPI-M and a former President of the JNUSU, and two times member of the Rajya Sabha, Sitaram Yechury was a politically astute Leftist. His steadfast views for socialism, democracy and secularism, remained till his end. His relentless struggle through his party, other Left parties and democratic forces against communalism speaks for itself. He was one of the driving force to setup the INDIA alliance.
Sitaram Yechury, is no more. He donated his body to the AIIMS for medical research. His struggles are history. He left us when decisive battles for a democratic, secular and progressive India lie ahead. His legacy will remain potent.
