JAMMU, OCT 3: BJP National General Secretary (Organization) B.L. Santhosh said organisational responsibilities may change with time, but the basic duties, values and commitment of a dedicated party worker remain constant, stressing that the larger organisational mission must always remain above individual positions.
Santhosh was addressing a ‘Samman Samaroh’ at the BJP headquarters in Trikuta Nagar, Jammu, organised to honour Tarun Chugh for his nearly six-year tenure as J&K BJP Prabhari and Ashok Koul for his 14 years of service as J&K BJP General Secretary (Organization). Chugh has now been assigned responsibilities as National Office Prabhari, Rajya Sabha MP and Gujarat Prabhari, while Koul has returned to the core organisational structure of the RSS.
Addressing party leaders and workers, Santhosh said an activist develops his personality, experience and capacity to guide others while discharging organisational responsibilities. He lauded Koul’s long association with the RSS as a senior Pracharak and his contribution to the BJP’s organisational expansion in Jammu and Kashmir, describing his return to the parent organisation as part of the larger organisational framework.
“Responsibilities may change, but the basic duties don’t,” Santhosh said, urging party workers not to become attached to positions or individuals. He called upon activists to continuously strengthen the organisation while simultaneously working on their own development, discipline and capacity.
J&K BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Sharma, who chaired the programme, expressed gratitude to Chugh and Koul for their sustained contribution to the party. He said their organisational efforts had helped strengthen the BJP across Jammu and Kashmir and recalled the party’s electoral performance, including its participation in DDC elections in Kashmir.
Sat Sharma recalled Koul’s accessibility to party workers, saying activists could approach him with organisational, social and personal concerns. He also highlighted Chugh’s extensive travel across Jammu and Kashmir, including remote areas, to establish stronger grassroots organisational networks.
Chugh, while reflecting on his tenure, said Jammu and Kashmir had witnessed prolonged struggles on nationalist and social issues and acknowledged the sacrifices made by BJP workers during difficult periods. He credited the BJP leadership and workers with building the organisation through sustained grassroots efforts and said the Union government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi had placed J&K on a development-oriented trajectory.
Referring to Koul’s organisational contribution, Chugh described him as a committed organisational worker who played an important role in consolidating the BJP’s base in Jammu and expanding its presence across different constituencies of Kashmir. He maintained that despite the organisation’s achievements, substantial work remained ahead.
Koul, in his address, traced his organisational journey back to 1974, when he joined the RSS, and recalled his years of service as a Pracharak in different capacities. Recounting the challenges he faced during his long organisational career, including continuing his responsibilities after a serious accident, Koul urged party workers to make continuous self-development an integral part of their public and organisational life.
He emphasised the importance of learning, patience, courage, endurance and steadfastness, saying that workers should not restrict their focus merely to achieving organisational objectives but should also cultivate the qualities required to serve society and the organisation over the long term.
RSS Seh-Sanghchalak Dr. Vikrant Sharma also traced the organisational evolution associated with the RSS and BJP, underlining the continuity of core values despite changes in responsibilities. He urged workers to draw inspiration from Koul’s organisational discipline and commitment.
J&K BJP Seh-Prabhari and MLA Reena Kashyap, who has recently been entrusted with the responsibility of Seh-Prabhari, expressed gratitude to the organisation for the confidence placed in her. She assured party leaders that she would make every effort to discharge the responsibility effectively, while stressing the BJP’s emphasis on providing women equal opportunities in organisational and public life.
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh recalled his association with Koul and spoke about the hardships, organisational challenges and achievements witnessed during his long tenure. He highlighted the BJP’s electoral performances across multiple levels, including Parliamentary, Assembly, DDC, BDC, Urban Local Body and Panchayat elections, as part of the party’s expanding organisational footprint in J&K.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma also recalled Koul’s role in grooming and mentoring party activists, describing his organisational journey as an example of patience, courage, endurance and steadfast commitment.
The event was attended and addressed by several senior BJP leaders, including Lok Sabha MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, Rajya Sabha MP Er. Ghulam Ali Khatana, former Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Nirmal Singh, former J&K BJP presidents Ashok Khajuria and Ravinder Raina, General Secretary Baldev Singh Billawaria, MLA Dr. Devinder Kumar Manyal, BJP Vice-Presidents Priya Sethi and Rakesh Mahajan, besides other party functionaries.
Several leaders shared personal memories of their association with Koul, recalling his role in organisational mobilisation, cadre development and strengthening the party structure across Jammu and Kashmir.
The programme ultimately underlined a central organisational message — positions and responsibilities are temporary, while ideological commitment, discipline, service and dedication to the organisation constitute the enduring foundation of a party worker’s journey.
