Although the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has termed it as a 'routine' organizational change, the appointment of joint general secretary Arun Kumar as coordinator with the BJP and interface for political issues is an indication of the Sangh's focus on Jammu and Kashmir and the national security in coming days.
The decision to appoint Arun Kumar on this important position was taken in the just-concluded meeting of Akhil Bharatiya Prant Pracharak Baithak (all state-level full-timers) held at Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh.
Arun Kumar replaced another joint general secretary Krishana Gopal who held the charge since 2015.
Insiders in the RSS said that the responsibility has been given to Arun Kumar for better and more proactive coordination with the BJP.
Why appointment of Arun Kumar crucial for J&K?
Expert on national security, Arun Kumar is popular in Sangh Parivar as "Encyclopaedia of Jammu and Kashmir". A low-profile RSS leader, Arun Kumar was the main architect, who silently laid the foundation for the abrogation of 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution. Scholar par excellence, Kumar coordinated with legal experts, across the country, to discuss all legal aspects of Article 370 and 35-A.
He first of all brought Article 35A under scanner
Arun Kumar has worked extensively in Jammu and Kashmir and is seen as one of the key persons in the Sangh Parivar behind the abolishment of Article 370.
During his tenure as Prant Pracharak of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, he thoroughly studied constitutional relations of the erstwhile State with the Indian Union.
It was all due efforts of Arun Kumar that Article 35-A was "discovered" and the 'victims' of this Article challenged its legality in the Supreme Court. A nationwide campaign was started against Article 35-A by involving legal luminaries of the country.
The brain behind the formation of the Jammu-Kashmir Study Centre
Registered in 2011, the Jammu-Kashmir Study Centre is the brainchild of Arun Kumar and journalist-turned researcher Ashutosh Bhatnagar who constituted teams of legal luminaries, university teachers, and researchers to conduct a study of all issues pertaining to J&K.
For years together, JKSC countered the narrative in favour of Article 370 and conducted a study of this article to provide documented-based facts to facilitate its abrogation. The JKSC team of legal experts had countered the arguments of Kashmir experts that Article 370 could not be abolished.
Elevated as joint general secretary in March this year
When a new team of RSS was announced in March this year, Arun Kumar has elevated a new joint general secretary. Kumar was the Prachar Pramukh (media head) before this and played a crucial role in forming public opinion on the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
