Next in the hierarchy come the 11 kshetriya sanyojaks (regional convenors). The organisational regions are named after key cities. So, the region comprising Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi is named after the Pandava capital Indraprastha. UP is divided into two regions, Meerut and Lucknow, while Jaipur includes Rajasthan and Gujarat. Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh make the Bhopal region. Patna comprises Bihar and Jharkhand. Orissa along with West Bengal constitutes Utkal and the Northeast comes under Guwahati. The South is divided into two units: Chennai (Tamil Nadu and Kerala) and Bangalore (Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh). The Mumbai unit includes Maharashtra and Goa. The 11 kshetriya sanyojaks—there are five vacancies at present—are hardly known beyond RSS-circles.

The regions are sub-divided into state, district and prakhand (for a population of one lakh) units. Then there are the local units. Each state has a convenor who is assisted by a team of five. The convenor who looks after organisational work is the sangathan pramukh, then there is a gauraksha (cow-protection) pramukh, a suraksha pramukh (security head), a vidyarthi pramukh (student leader) and a balopasana pramukh (fitness trainer).

FACES BEHIND THE DAL

Prakash Sharma (National convenor)

The Kanpur-based lawyer started as the city convenor of the Dal in 1984 and gradually moved his way up, becoming the state convenor first and then co-convenor. Though at 46, he is past the upper-age limit of 45 for holding the post, the Parivar has not nominated his successor yet. A natural choice for his replacement would be co-convenor Subas Chouhan.

... contd.