Though the party had split, we were still together in the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC). But the Dange loyalists were out to corner the centre of power in the union and not one single nationwide strike had been called to protest the continuing attacks on the labour class. We had thought that perhaps it would be possible to work for the people and change the union’s tilt towards reactionary policies by fighting it out within by staying within the AITUC itself. But this could not happen and on the contrary, the Dange loyalists sided with the owners’ lobby to harm the interests of the workers. But the workers could not be fooled and in soon they realised that the AITUC was not the answer to their problems. A new union, the CITU, was thus the natural result and its leaders made it clear that there would be no compromise with the welfare of the labour class.

The birth of the CITU was officially announced at an all-India conference held at the Ranji Stadium ( renamed Leninnagari for the event) between May 28 and 31, 1970. Comrade B.T. Ranadive was elected as the first president and Comrade P. Ramamurthy its general secretary.