Summary of this article
Vennivelampatti’s uniqueness lies in its distinct political identity.
People here continue to name their children after Marx, Lenin and Che Guevara.
Here, communism and devotion to Murugan go hand in hand.
We reached Vennivelampatti, a nondescript village about 50 kilometres from Madurai, in search of Karl Marx. But it was no ordinary day in the village. It was festival day.
From early morning, villagers gathered at the Vembalayan Murugan temple. After the first pooja, devotees began climbing a nearby hill as part of the annual ritual. Among them was Karl Marx, participating with complete devotion.
Fifty-six-year-old Karl Marx is a construction worker who lives with his wife, Umapathy, in a cramped one-bedroom house. The walls of their modest home are lined with photographs — of Hindu gods alongside portraits of Marxist thinkers.
“I am a communist, and I’m proud to have this name — Karl Marx. My father was a communist, and he gave me this special name,” he told us, gently wiping the dust off a bust of the original Marx, as he explained how he came to be named after the revolutionary thinker who sought to interpret — and change — the world.
Vennivelampatti may seem unremarkable at first glance — a small, rural settlement with four modest temples within a kilometre. Most residents depend on construction work in nearby towns or on agricultural labour for their livelihood.
Yet, the village carries a distinct identity. Amid the larger canvas of Dravidian politics, Vennivelampatti stands out for its enduring communist character.
“My daughter was born ahead of the Madurai Congress of the CPI(M), and I named her Marxia,” says Vijay Pandy, a party worker.
Pandy’s choice reflects something deeper — here, the affection for Marxist icons and ideas appears to endure, largely untouched by generational change, unlike in many other parts of the world.
You can find names like Friedrich Engels, Lenin, Che Guevara, and Fidel Castro here — and even comrades who have emblazoned their iconic leaders’ images on their bodies.
“The communist movement is close to the heart of this village,” says Arumughan, a local party leader. “Unlike in other parts of the state, here the communists are the strongest political force.”
Summary of this article
According to CPI(M) district committee member Murugan, political consciousness in the area began to take shape after the 1960s, rooted in ideas of equality and dignity. “In 1952, an agricultural workers’ meeting was held nearby. Some people from this village attended the three-day conference. Those were the days of feudalism. The discussions there sparked a sense of justice among many of the participants,” he explains, tracing the genealogy of the communist movement in the region.
He recalls a comrade named Vembalu as being instrumental in organising the people and introducing them to the ideas of communism.
“Regular meetings were organised in the village, the idea of communist party was explained, which helped this village to get a communist identity”, says Murugan.
According to senior residents, the Communist Party and its ideals have never lost their sheen in this village. Global turning points — the fall of the Berlin Wall, the disintegration of the Soviet Union, or shifts in China’s policies — seem to have had little impact on local convictions.
Yet, this deeply rooted sense of belonging to communism has not translated into electoral victories, and the comrades here do not appear particularly troubled by it. “We are voting for the DMK candidate here,” says a party worker, matter-of-factly.
“We are undertaking, within our limited means, all efforts to keep the spirit of Marxism alive here. Reading clubs help the younger generation understand communist ideas and prepare them to stand for justice and equality,” says Arumugam.
A small party office, painted in red with the hammer and sickle, serves as the meeting point for local comrades. When we arrived in the afternoon, a few workers from nearby areas were resting there. Portraits of Indian communist leaders lined the walls, watching over the quiet room.
“It is communist values that keep this village free from caste prejudices. While many parts of Madurai and the adjoining districts have witnessed caste atrocities, this village has remained largely untouched — and that, we believe, is because of the values we uphold,” says Arumughan.
Vellivelampatti, for all its deep-rooted communist identity, has never turned away from faith. The question of whether a communist can also believe in God has scarcely arisen here. In this village, communism and devotion to Murugan exist side by side — not in conflict, but in quiet harmony.
As we were leaving, Murugan, another party worker, asked about the elections in Kerala — and whether his party would return to power. Our response, that the contest was close, did little to dampen his optimism. “We look to Kerala, the state that still holds the flag of revolution high,” he said, expressing confidence that while in Tamil Nadu the DMK, backed by the CPI(M), would return to power, in Kerala too, people would once again elect his party — the CPI(M).
Their faith in revolution, justice, and equality remains deeply entrenched — much like their devotion to Lord Murugan — largely untouched by changes in the wider world.
