India
‘So late at night’: When Fidel Castro called Sitaram Yechury at midnight | India News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: Dead communist leader Sitaram Jechury once received an unexpected call from a Cuban comrade Fidel Castro That’s why he kept a book of statistics at hand on every trip to the Caribbean country.
“Official party delegation, Jyoti Basu and I were there in 1994. Then at 11 p.m., Mr. Fidel sent a message,” Yechury said as he began his anecdote about one of his rare meetings with Castro.
Yechury shared Jyoti Basu’s irritation over this invitation at an odd hour and continued, “Since Jyoti Basu was already preparing to retire, he wanted to postpone it till the next day. Now he is the commander there, he is the boss of the country. He kept talking till 2 am.”
“And suddenly,” he asked, “what is the steel production in India?” Yechury added.
In an exclusive chat with Samdish Bhatia, Yechury candidly said, “Jyoti Basu was already irritated. How could he remember such statistics. He is asking this so late at night.”
“Then Fidel turned to me.”
“He said he (Jyoti) was a very senior leader, but you, young man, should know all this information from your fingertips,” Yechury continued.
“The next time I go to Cuba, I’ll always have a little handbook of statistics with me. I’ll have it with me.
“Who knows, whoever asks, wherever,” he said with a laugh.
Yechury died on Thursday at the age of 74 after a long illness.
“Official party delegation, Jyoti Basu and I were there in 1994. Then at 11 p.m., Mr. Fidel sent a message,” Yechury said as he began his anecdote about one of his rare meetings with Castro.
Yechury shared Jyoti Basu’s irritation over this invitation at an odd hour and continued, “Since Jyoti Basu was already preparing to retire, he wanted to postpone it till the next day. Now he is the commander there, he is the boss of the country. He kept talking till 2 am.”
“And suddenly,” he asked, “what is the steel production in India?” Yechury added.
In an exclusive chat with Samdish Bhatia, Yechury candidly said, “Jyoti Basu was already irritated. How could he remember such statistics. He is asking this so late at night.”
“Then Fidel turned to me.”
“He said he (Jyoti) was a very senior leader, but you, young man, should know all this information from your fingertips,” Yechury continued.
“The next time I go to Cuba, I’ll always have a little handbook of statistics with me. I’ll have it with me.
“Who knows, whoever asks, wherever,” he said with a laugh.
Yechury died on Thursday at the age of 74 after a long illness.
