Jiabao to felicitate Yechury today

CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury will be awarded the China-India Friendship Award for his “outstanding” contribution to Sino-Indian relationship, when he meets Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in New Delhi tomorrow.

Yechury, the face of the CPI(M) on the international forum, will fly down from Hyderabad to meet Jiabao. The award is co-sponsored by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with India and China-India Friendship Association.

However, for party general secretary Prakash Karat, brainstorming with his party is more important than spending an evening with the Chinese premier. With Karat camping in Hyderabad with other members of the Central Committee for a “party class”, Yechury will be the only party representative to meet Jiabao on Wednesday.

The CPI(M) – the biggest communist party of India – regularly meets visiting Chinese delegations. During the previous visit of Wen, both Karat and Yechury had interacted with the Chinese premier.

The invitation letter that reached A K Gopalan Bhawan, the party headquarters, said Yechury was one of the Indian who is “promoting and has outstanding contribution” to the Sino-Indian friendship.

The party is currently holding special classes for its Central Committee members in Hyderabad as part of its ‘rectification process’ ahead of the two crucial state elections in West Bengal and Kerala early next year.