How security forces are equipping residents of remote villages with skills to defend themselves against terror

The strategy assumes significance as the operational teams of the police, braving icy cold conditions, are already occupying mountain heights in the district to check on the movement of terrorists in the region.

Located nearly 90 km from Doda town, these villages had been some of the worst-affected areas during the peak of militancy in the mid-1990s in the Chenab Valley region, comprising present-day Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban districts.

During the training, the instructor calls two of the VDGs — one of them a woman — and asks them to disassemble and then assemble their weapons. “Jo cheez sabse last mein khula hai, us ko sab se pehley joda jata hai (The part that was removed last has to be put back first),” the instructor tells them, and then explains to them what to do when their guns get locked.

While the Army has not made any official comment about the programme, sources said this was aimed at not just training them to deal with potential terrorist attacks in their villages, but also to teach them the techniques of jungle warfare, as the villagers often pass through dense forests as part of their daily lives.

The arms training given to VDGs at Shingani panchayat is not an isolated instance. Such training programmes are being organised by police and security forces at various other locations across Jammu province as part of their multi-pronged winter strategy to take on terrorists when their movement gets restricted due to heavy snow in mountainous areas.

The idea is to flush out terrorists hiding in forests at middle heights during the winter and neutralise them. The strategy assumes significance as the operational teams of the police, braving icy cold conditions, are already occupying mountain heights in the district to check on the movement of terrorists in the region.

Intensified combing ops

Doda SSP Sandeep Mehta on Wednesday attributed the present peace in Doda district to the J&K Police establishing “operational bases on mountain tops with our jawans staying there for the past eight months without caring for the winter”. He said, “They are deployed there even today.”

In Kishtwar district, the Army and police have intensified combing and search operations to flush out terrorists.

Last month, in the Purmandal area of Samba district, the Army imparted training in weapons handling and battle drills to VDGs.

Earlier, the BSF had organised similar training programmes for VDGs in the border areas of Akhnoor and Arnia.

In June last year, nearly 100 VDGs were given comprehensive training at the Sunjwan Police Firing Range in Jammu on basic weapons handling, firing skills, tactical drills and adherence to standard security protocols. The sessions are being conducted under the close supervision of experienced Indian Army instructors, with the objective of equipping VDGs to enable them to assist security forces effectively in sensitive and vulnerable regions, sources said.

From VDCs to VDGs

The Home Ministry had in 1995 decided to set up Village Defence Committees (VDCs) following a spurt in incidents of terrorist violence in the erstwhile Doda district, including areas of present-day Kishtwar and Ramban districts during the mid-1990s.

Later, the scheme was extended to other areas of Jammu province as militants spread their activities to Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Poonch, Samba and Kathua districts.

However, after the restoration of peace and subsequent allegations of intimidation and atrocities against VDCs at several places, successive governments began disbanding them.

Following the resurgence of terror again in the Jammu province, the Home Ministry in March 2022 approved a new scheme, renaming the VDCs as VDGs.

Unlike VDCs, wherein members were provided only .303 rifles, and monthly remuneration of Rs 1,500 was given only to the Special Police Officers (SPOs) among them, the VDGs have been provided with SLRs (self-loading rifles) and each one of them is paid Rs 4,000-4,500 per month.