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R. Arun Kumar
Indian politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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R. Arun Kumar (born 1974) is an Indian politician associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and a former student activist. He is currently serving as a member of the Polit Bureau of CPIM and the head of the International Department of the party.[1][2] He is also the general secretary of All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation.[3][4]
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Early life and education
Arun Kumar was born in October 1974 in Brahmapur in Ganjam district of Odisha.[5] He is actually a native of Vijayawada and he comes from a family deeply involved in leftist politics.[6] His mother, K. Hemalata, is currently the president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions and a member of the Central Committee of CPIM.[7] His father, Shyam Sundar, is a dedicated CPIM activist based in Delhi.[8]
Kumar's school education occurred in Machilipatnam of Andhra Pradesh. He then completed his undergraduation from S.R. Government College in Vijayawada and did his post-graduation in University of Hyderabad during 1995–97.[5]
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Political career
Summarize
Perspective
Arun Kumar has held several significant positions within the CPI(M) and its affiliated organizations.
Students movement
Arun Kumar began his political journey as a student activist through the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPI(M). He joined the organisation in 1986 when he was in seventh class.[5]
- State Leadership of SFI in Undivided Andhra Pradesh: He served as the State President (1998–99; 2002–03) and Secretary of SFI (2002–03) in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh, during which he was involved in organizing student movements, education-related campaigns, and mobilizations addressing issues of access and equity in public education. During his tenure, he was at the forefront of major student-led agitations that compelled government response, including protests against electricity tariff hikes and anti-student policies in coordination with other political parties.[9][10]
- All India President of SFI: In 12th national conference of SFI in 2005, Arun Kumar was elected as the President of the organisation and served till 2008. In 2006, he led a jatha in North India covering Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura with the slogan “For Universal Education, Intellectual Self-Reliance and Social Justice”.[11]
Role in CPI(M)
Kumar joined Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 1992.[5] On 2 September 1993, he was arrested in Vijaywada during all-India strike and was brutally tortured by the police.[5]
He was included as a permanent invitee to CPIM Central Committee after 21st Party Congress in April 2015.[12] He is considered as one of the major Marxist-Leninist ideologues within the CPIM who can pragmatically lead to form a united front of the proletariat i.e., workers, peasants, women, students, youth and slum dwellers following the principles of Marxism-Leninism.[13]
In 22nd Party Congress of CPM, he was elected to the Central Committee for the first time.[14] As the deputy in-charge of the party’s international department, he contributed to shaping the party's international relations and policies.[15]
After 23rd Party Congress, Arun Kumar was elected as a member of the Central Secretariat, the body which manages the party's day-to-day operations and assists in the implementation of decisions taken by the Central Committee.[16][17]
He was included in campaign committee of INDIA bloc after the bloc's meeting held in Mumbai from 31 August to 1 September 2023.[18]
In the next Party Congress held in Madurai from 2 to 6 April 2025, he was one of the eight leaders who got newly elected to the Politburo.[19] This move paves the way for generational shift in CPIM leadership.[20] His entry to the Politburo along with Vijoo Krishnan are compared with the inclusion of Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat in the Politburo in 1992.[21]
Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong met with M. A. Baby and Arun Kumar to congratulate them on the newly elected Politburo.[22] On 4 September 2025, Sun Haiyan, Vice-minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, held a meeting with Arun Kumar regarding India-China relations.[2]
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Personal life
Arun Kumar's wife, Mamata, works as a journalist for People's Democracy. The couple has a son named Arnav.[8]
References
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