Concern over removal of security pickets
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Jan 4: In view of growing militancy and attacks on civilians the demand for strengthening of Village Defence Committees (VDCs) in militancy infested areas of Jammu region is gaining momentum.
After the recent killing of four militants in a chance encounter at Sidhra near here by security forces who were traveling to Kashmir valley in a truck and January 1 militant attack in Upper Dhangri of Rajouri district in which five persons were killed, the people across the Jammu region especially in twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch are demanding strengthening of VDCs.
Scared and panicked over these attacks, the people have blamed the administration for disarming the VDCs especially in border districts of Rajouri and Poonch to put their lives at risk. They said had the VDCs not been disarmed in Upper Dhangri precious lives of six innocent people would have not been lost.
Rattan Chand Sharma, former president VDC Doda said that in view of the resurfacing of militancy in various areas of Jammu and targeted killings, the Government needs to strengthen the VDCs in militancy infested areas to save the lives and property of the people.
The VDCs did a yeoman’s job in combating militancy in erstwhile Doda district as well as other militancy infested areas of Jammu region, he said, adding unfortunately the Government has disarmed them and made them defunct in various parts of the region due to which the militants got a free chance to strike at will wherever they like.
Vijay Kumar of Bhawani in Nowshera area of Rajouri district who is also a VDC member said the VDCs constituted way back in 1996 when the militancy was at its peak in the J&K have now been made totally defunct by the authorities.
Unlike the erstwhile Doda district, the VDCs in twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch were not given any emoluments by Government since their constitution in 1996. “We were given old weapons (.303 guns) to guard the villages against the militants’ attacks. Still for protection of people in the village we worked with dedication but Government never tried to encourage us by sanctioning even some amount as monthly remuneration for our service which has been considered as voluntary only”, Kumar said.
He said the old guns which were given to them over two decades back are now of no use as militants use modern weapons and they have no match with such weapons. This way the VDCs have been virtually made defunct by the authorities and they did not pay any attention to rejuvenate them by providing modern weapons, training as well as some emoluments’ as was done in erstwhile Doda district, he added.
Vijay said had the VDCs been active and functional in Upper Dhangri village the attack by militants could have been repulsed and people of the area would have got a morale boost. As it is not possible to keep police or security forces guard in every village, engaging villagers as VDCs could have proved handy in combating militancy, he added.
Kuldeep Kumar, a resident of Nowshera while expressing his grief and concern over the Upper Dhangri carnage said when the Government at that time had decided to establish VDCs for security of people in far flung and remote areas, why they were now virtually disbanded when militants threat is not over and they (extremists) are continuously sneaking this side from across the border.
He said not only in twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch but VDCs be constituted in all villages adjoining border and LoC right from Lakhanpur to Poonch. This will also act as a second line defence on borders after BSF and a check against sneaking of militants inside Indian territory from across.
The Rajouri and Poonch remained main targets of militants since nineties and carnages at various places took place since then, said BJP general secretary, Vibodh Gupta who is also from Rajouri town. He said the Government played a duel policy in constituting the VDCs as those in erstwhile Doda and other districts were sanctioned by Government order and they were paid the monthly emoluments, the same was not case in border districts of Rajouri and Poonch which were main targets of militants and where innocent lives of both Hindu and Muslim communities were lost in the attacks.
He said in 1996 village Bal which is ahead of Dhangri was attacked by militants and about 10 people were killed. It was followed by attack in Swari hamlet in Budhal tehsil in the same period. Later Kot Dhara in Budhal was attacked twice. Many Muslims were also killed by militants in attacks as they were dubbed as source of Army and security forces, he added.
He said grenades were hurled on shops in Rajouri many times killing the employees working on these shops. These were bad days for the people of the district, he added.
He said over a year back hand grenade was thrown over the house of Jasbir Kumar and his son was killed in the attack. Two blasts took place in Koteranka a year back and two strangers intruded into a residential house in Muradpur, Rajouri. Two people were reportedly killed by militants near Alfa Gate, Rajouri recently, he added.
This shows that situation is still alarming in the border districts and Government needs to maintain constant vigil including strengthening of VDCs, This demand was also taken with LG, Manoj Sinha during his vist to Upper Dhangri, he added.
The Government at least needs to fix responsibility on somebody, and all such incidents can’t be brushed aside by closing eyes as if nothing is happening, he said.
Strongly advocating for strengthening of VDCs, Basant Raj Thakur, a socio political activist from Kishtwar who has pursuing the cause of VDCs and has taken up the issue with Union Government too, said this will boost morale of the people in entire Jammu region.
He also expressed serious concern over removal of Army pickets from various areas especially in twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch saying that militants use this route for entering Kashmir valley. When there is no security picket enroute they have no threat of being confronted by any one, he added.
Basant Raj said that some VDC members in erstwhile Doda district have not been paid their honorarium for the last 58 months. Their honorarium was stopped in 2018 after a dispute and since then it has not been released. The Government needs to look into their case as strengthening of the VDCs with modern weaponry can only prove deterrent against militancy.
He also demanded establishing of VDCs along entire border belt right from Lakhanpur to Poonch in Jammu region to check the infiltration and attacks by militants.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
