More than 200 members joined CPIML, in the first phase, on 15 October at Villupuram district deserting CPI. The comrades represented four blocks, viz., Vanur, Ullundurpet, Thirukovilur and Thirunavalur, of the district. The Villupuram event on 15th was not an isolated event; Left ranks from more than 12 districts in the state have joined our party in a short span of one year, who were earlier with the Maoists or with CPI-CPI(M). Many Left cadres are looking up to the CPI(ML) as a credible and consistent Left alternative.

The Left comrades at Villupuram joined CPI(ML) in a public function and the oath was administered by SCM Ilangovan. Comrade Shankar, CCM awarded membership cards to the eligible cadres who had come from many other districts having left various Left parties, particularly the CPI and the CPI(M). Comrade Kuppusamy of the newly formed DOC of the district hoisted the flag, M.Venkatesan, Secretary of the DOC chaired the event while Balsubramanian delivered the inaugural address. Recently joined Left cadres M.Babu of Krishangiri, Dakshinamurthy of Cuddalore, Senguttuvan of Perambalur, Gundumalai of Madurai and Antony Muthu of Kanyakumari also spoke in the event while nine members of the Villupuram DOC were introduced to the gathering.

Comrade Shankar,CCM traced the revolutionary tradition of the communist movement in the country from 1857, Bhagat Singh, Telangana and Naxalbari. He called upon Left ranks to join the revolutionary stream of CPI(ML) against the politics of collaboration of the official Left. He also condemned the vacillation of the Left in opposing anti-national, Indo-US Nuke Deal.

Comrade Balasundaram, the state secretary, accused the official Left of weakening the Left movement by its opportunist alliances. He also highlighted the event as a step in the direction of genuine Left forces rallying around CPI(ML), as a part of the clarion call of the ensuing eighth Congress of the party to be held at Kolkata in December. 