RSS establishes first divisional office in occupied Kashmir

The Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has established its first divisional office in Pulwama district of Indian-administered

The Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has established its first divisional office in Pulwama district of Indian-administered Kashmir, according to Indian media reports.

The development comes amid concerns over the expansion of Hindutva activities in the disputed region following the Indian government’s revocation of Article 370 in August 2019. The constitutional provision had granted Jammu and Kashmir special status and a degree of autonomy before its removal.

According to media reports, the RSS has been working to expand its activities in the region since the revocation of Article 370. The establishment of the office in Pulwama is being viewed in the context of broader efforts to strengthen the organisation’s presence and promote its ideological agenda in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The move has also drawn attention to the growing influence of Hindu nationalist organisations in India’s political and institutional landscape.

Separately, a study published in an American journal by French political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot has identified the growing dominance of Hindu nationalist organisations within Indian institutions as a significant challenge.

According to Kashmir Media Service (KMS), the study called for measures to prevent Hindu ideological networks from exercising power beyond constitutional safeguards.

The research has raised concerns about the influence of Hindu nationalist groups on India’s institutional framework and the implications for constitutional principles and democratic governance.

The establishment of the RSS office in Pulwama has further highlighted the organisation’s expanding presence in Indian-administered Kashmir, where political and ideological developments remain closely linked to the region’s disputed status and the consequences of the revocation of Article 370.