The Hindu : Village defence panels losing ground

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 04, 2003

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Other States - Jammu & Kashmir

Village defence panels losing ground

By Luv Puri

Budhal (Rajouri) Aug 3. Once flaunted as the finest self-protection mechanism in the remote hills of Jammu and Kashmir against militancy, the Village Defence Committees are now fast losing ground due to poor weaponry and lack of support from the authorities.

Formed in the mid-nineties after the attacks on civilians increased, the VDC personnel had on numerous occasions repulsed terrorist strikes with their the outdated rifles.

Each committee, which normally has five to twenty members, was entrusted the responsibility of guarding their hamlets, which the security forces could not normally reach out to.

Militants have now changed their strategy and are asking the VDC personnel to give up their weapons to save their lives, unlike earlier, when there were brutal attacks on them.

In more than a dozen hamlets, such as Dandote, Samote, Kewal and Gabar, the militants have sought surrender of arms.

A few days back, a 22-member militant group swooped on Karnail Narha village and compelled the helpless VDC personnel to surrender arms.

At the ground level, the VDC members are realising that the fight against the militants possessing superior weapons and communication network is an uphill task.

Moreover, the shortage of ammunition and batteries for their wireless equipment is telling on them, though in many instances they had braved the shortage and suffered higher casualty. Talking to The Hindu, a VDC member, Chain Singh, who had lost seven of his relatives in a fight against the terrorists, says, "The lives of my seven relatives killed by the militants could have been saved if the village defence committee (VDC) members had not run out of ammunition during their night-long fierce gun battle with the terrorists."

Recently, VDC members foiled an attempt by militants to kidnap 30 shepherds in Lutero Dhar in Doda, bordering Himachal Pradesh. Despite their heroic effort the villagers have sought Army pickets.

After demobilisation of troops, the threat to the VDCs has increased further, lowering their morale.

For the militants the Budhal heights are of great importance as the area is vital for access into the Valley.

A senior police officer said "the VDCs cannot be left in the lurch. If the people start losing their trust in them, it would create major problems for the counter-insurgency grid and impose further burden on it."

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