Salem, Tamil Nadu | September 12, 2025, The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) marked the first anniversary of the passing of its former General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury, with a poignant eye and body donation event at its Salem district office near Ramakrishna Park today. The event, held on September 12, 2025—exactly one year after Yechury’s death on September 12, 2024—reflected his lifelong commitment to social causes and public welfare. A gathering of local CPI(M) leaders, members, and community participants assembled outside the party’s yellow-hued office, adorned with red flags and a large portrait of Yechury draped in garlands. The ceremony, led by Union Secretary Krishnaveni and featuring a special address by party executive committee member C. Muthu Kannan, saw individuals pledging their eyes and bodies for medical research and transplantation. This initiative underscores a growing movement in India to address the acute shortage of organ donors, with the Eye Bank Association of India estimating an annual need for 100,000 corneal transplants, of which only a fraction are met. Sitaram Yechury, born on August 12, 1952, in Madras to a Telugu Brahmin family, was a towering figure in Indian Marxism, serving as CPI(M) General Secretary and a member of its Politburo from 1992 until his death. Known for his coalition-building skills and resistance against the 1975 Emergency, Yechury’s legacy continues to inspire the party’s grassroots efforts. The Salem event, attended by coordination committee members, interim secretaries, and frontline workers, highlighted the party’s enduring influence in Tamil Nadu, a state where it has historically secured notable electoral representation despite recent challenges. The drive aligns with a broader national trend toward organ donation awareness, bolstered by initiatives like Organ India, which has been spreading awareness since 2013. Despite cultural hesitations, the event challenges taboos, with participants citing transparency in medical use and respect for the deceased as key motivators—concerns identified in a 2019 study on eye donation barriers in North India. CPI(M) leaders emphasized that Yechury’s commitment to societal good lives on through such acts of solidarity. As India grapples with a persistent organ shortage, this event serves as both a tribute and a call to action, reinforcing the party’s ideological roots while addressing a critical public health need.
