The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has marked a new milestone in Jammu and Kashmir with the opening of an office by its affiliated organisation, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), in Barsou village of Pulwama district. The development is significant as the area has long been associated with violence, terrorism and stone-pelting. The new office is located barely five kilometres from Lethpora, the site of the 2019 suicide attack in which 40 Indian security personnel lost their lives.
Situated in a quiet village beneath the Zabarwan hills, the BMS office occupies a modest, single-storey building. The premises are fitted with security cameras, and police personnel have been deployed outside for security. There is no prominent signboard or flag, only a small board bearing the word "Office." The new divisional office marks the first public and permanent presence of an RSS-linked organisation in the Kashmir Valley.
Why did BMS choose Pulwama for its office?
For the BMS, which has been working quietly in Kashmir for years, the decision to open its doors to the public marks a significant shift. Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the organisation has continued its work in the region, and the new office is being seen as a step towards greater public engagement. The organisation has 20 registered labour unions in the area.
Speaking to India TV, Sameer Kuche, the officer in charge of the Kashmir division, said the BMS is an independent organisation primarily focused on protecting workers' rights, dignity and legal entitlements. He said the opening of an office in a sensitive area such as Pulwama, and the willingness of people to associate with the organisation, indicated that its work was increasingly being viewed as an issue of workers' welfare rather than politics or religion. Kuche said the organisation's central objective was to help workers secure their legal rights and ensure their contribution to the country's development.
'Our only aim is to put India's development first'
Kuche said the organisation initially had to deal with misinformation and misconceptions about its work. However, workers and officers from Jammu and Kashmir Bank gradually joined the organisation and understood its primary objective, he added.
"Initially, there was some misinformation in society that we had to deal with. But gradually, as workers and officers from Jammu and Kashmir Bank joined us, they realised that our only aim is to put India's development first," Kuche said.
"As BMS's slogan says, ‘We will work in the nation's interest, and take full wages for that work.’ The working class builds the nation. Our slogan means that every worker and employee should contribute to making the country developed, while ensuring that every worker receives fair wages and their legal rights with dignity," he added.
Article 370 abrogation changed the situation: BMS official
Explaining why Pulwama was chosen for the office, Kuche cited two main reasons. First, he said, the situation had changed considerably after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. According to him, the region earlier witnessed frequent stone-pelting and shutdowns, while the atmosphere had since become more peaceful. He said young people were now focusing on education and improving their career prospects.
The second reason was geographical. Kuche said most of the unions associated with the BMS were based in South Kashmir. Pulwama's central location, he added, made the office more accessible to workers from both North and South Kashmir.
He said the challenges before 2019 had been considerably greater, but the organisation now had more than 20 unions and thousands of members associated with it. According to Kuche, workers joining the BMS are not questioned about their religion or political affiliations. Instead, the organisation focuses on how it can best serve them and their fellow workers.
BMS says workers' welfare remains its priority
Kuche said the BMS had a straightforward objective: to contribute to nation-building while ensuring that workers receive their legal entitlements, dignity and respect. "Our thinking is ‘Nation First, India First’, and our main mission is to work for the welfare and development of every worker," he added.
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