Army to use Doda ‘reality’ TV in war against terror

Years after the Army chose the Kalashnikov rifle in the war against terror in Jammu and Kashmir, it is now the local cable operators’ t...

Years after the Army chose the Kalashnikov rifle in the war against terror in Jammu and Kashmir, it is now the local cable operators’ turn to pitch in.

Directions from Army headquarters to Rashtriya Rifles (RR) battalions manning the counter-insurgency grid is to rope in cable operators to drive home the message that taking up the gun does not pay. The proposed channel now plans to go where no official channel has gone.

Worried at the influence PTV wields, Army HQ is looking at some local flavour to ensure the message goes deep into Doda’s homes. For a district that couldn’t boast of continuous electricity supply, cable TV has been a relative newcomer.

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Long after the cable revolution swept the metros, Doda has graduated to a bouquet of eight to 10 satellite channels. The fact that cable operators have begun hiking their rates is an indication that cable TV is popular in the district.

Observing this trend, the local Army formation headquarters suggested roping in local operators for some psy-ops (psychological operations), army lingo for propaganda. Soon, Army headquarters instructed RR battalions to film encounters, or scenes of militants surrendering and confessing to a hard life on the run on candid camera. Now RR battalion headquarters is looking for the right cable that can carry data into Doda’s interiors.

Through local cable operators, the battalions will now relay video films into Doda homes depicting scenes that, army headquarter hopes, will choke further recruitment and undermine any support for Pakistan-based terrorists coming into the district from neighbouring Anantnag district.

In fact, handicams have become standard issue for battalions as they train their troops to make short digital films. As teams go on seek and destroy missions, a small film crew will come along to shoot and capture foreign terrorists on candid camera. ‘‘This will help us convince people that this is not a legitimate war,’’ says a senior officer. Given the fact that a similar radio programme had failed to make an impact a few years ago, it is now time for some home-grown reality TV to pull the plug on terrorism here.