April 22nd, 2025 marks the 155th birth anniversary of Comrade Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 that led to the establishment of the Soviet Union, the world’s first socialist state. Lenin’s ideas on class struggle, party organization and proletarian revolution continue to inspire communist movements worldwide. A notable example of this influence was the formation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) in 1969, resulting from a sequence of internal conflicts within the Indian communist movement during the 1960s.
In 1964, after a long-standing conflict between its opportunist and revolutionary factions, the Communist Party of India underwent its first major split, which led to the formation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). However, the revolutionary members soon realized that the leadership had been taken over by the centrists, sparking further internal struggles. One of the key figures leading this ideological battle was Comrade Charu Majumdar, who articulated his revolutionary ideas through the Eight Documents, written between 1965 and 1967. This period coincided with a wave of mass movements across India. The defining moment came with the Naxalbari peasant uprising, led by Charu Majumdar’s group within the CPI(M). The rebellion exposed the deep divide between the party’s two lines and their strategies and tactical approaches. In response, the ruling CPI(M) resorted to state violence, fueling further dissent within the party.
Revolutionary communists across India began breaking away from the CPI(M) and gravitated towards a new emerging centre, the All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (AICCCR). This ultimately led to another major split, and on 22nd April, 1969 – coinciding with Lenin’s birth anniversary – the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) was formally established. The choice of Lenin’s birthday was symbolic, as he was the leader and architect of the Bolshevik revolution, and Marxist revolutionary thought. By aligning their foundation with Lenin’s legacy, the CPI(ML) sought to reinforce and solidify their commitment to a radical revolutionary path.
In May 1970, the CPI(ML) held its First Party Congress in Calcutta, where Charu Majumdar was elected General Secretary of a 21-member Central Committee, giving the new party a unified and structured leadership. This marked a new phase in India’s communist movement, with the CPI(ML) positioning itself as the true revolutionary force in the country. Despite severe state repression and various phases of setbacks, the ML movement continues to be alive and thriving in India.
