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RSS-affiliated BMS opens its first public Kashmir office (Img: Dynamite News)
Pulwama: The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), a trade union organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has opened its first publicly established divisional office in the Kashmir Valley at Barsoo village in Awantipora, Pulwama district. The move marks a new step in the organisation’s efforts to expand its presence and strengthen engagement with workers in the region.
The office was inaugurated on October 16 by B. Surendran, the BMS’s All India Organising Secretary. The opening gives the organisation a more visible base in Kashmir, where RSS-affiliated groups have traditionally maintained a limited public profile.
Sameer Kuchay, the BMS’s Kashmir in-charge, said the organisation had already built a network of affiliated labour unions and workers across the Valley before establishing the office.
According to Kuchay, around 20 labour unions are affiliated with the BMS in Kashmir, with its membership estimated by the organisation at between 25,000 and 30,000 workers and employees.
Kuchay said the new office would serve as a base for coordinating organisational activities, staying in touch with affiliated unions and addressing issues faced by workers and employees.
He said the organisation would focus on protecting workers’ legal rights and ensuring they were treated with dignity, respect and fairness.
According to Kuchay, the BMS intended to represent workers regardless of their religion, caste or political affiliation, with its work centred on labour issues and employee welfare.
The organisation’s affiliated bodies reportedly represent employees across sectors, including banking and industrial establishments. The BMS is also looking to widen its engagement with other employee associations and trade unions in the region.
Kuchay said Barsoo was selected because it offered convenient access to workers travelling from different parts of south Kashmir and elsewhere in the Valley.
Previously, the organisation operated from rented premises in Shivpora, Srinagar. The new office is intended to provide a more permanent base for its divisional activities and coordination with affiliated unions.
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Located in Awantipora in Pulwama district, the area is part of south Kashmir, which has faced significant security challenges over the years.
The opening comes amid efforts by the RSS and its affiliated organisations to establish a more visible presence in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
Kuchay attributed the decision to operate more openly to changes in the security environment and greater scope for public engagement.
He has also highlighted the importance of education, peace and opportunities for young people, arguing that learning, employment and development should shape the region’s future.
The growing presence of RSS-affiliated organisations in Kashmir has drawn differing political reactions. Supporters view the move as an opportunity to reach out to workers and strengthen organisational engagement, while critics have raised concerns about the RSS’s ideology and the wider political implications of its expanding presence.
The new office gives the BMS a dedicated location from which to coordinate its activities and engage with workers and affiliated unions.
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Its stated focus on workers’ rights and employee welfare brings issues such as workplace conditions, service-related grievances, legal entitlements and representation across sectors into sharper focus.
The impact of the office will depend on how effectively the organisation engages with employees, responds to their grievances and involves its affiliated unions in its work.
Its establishment in Barsoo marks a more formal and visible organisational presence for the BMS in the Kashmir Valley.
