Ishita Malakar, Pune
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Jammu and Kashmir has approved semi-automatic weapons in replacement of the older and outdated 303 assault rifles to be carried by the Village Defence Group Members (VDG) for better security, especially around the rural areas which have recently been attacked by terrorists and were even found wielding other deadly weapons like American M4 Carbines.
The MHA has already mentioned that some of the members of the Village Defence Group have already received new weapons that are semi-automatic for their enhanced security while almost all of them are soon to be armed with the new weapons. They have also mentioned that newer members of VDG are being recruited, especially from areas that are highly prone to terror attacks. Left by troops from NATO in Afghanistan post 2021 withdrawal, these regions were found to be infiltrated by terrorists wielding dangerous weapons.
A Senior Government Official has said that, to begin with, the VDGs from more terrorized and vulnerable areas around the hills will be receiving these updated arms and ammunition where there are high chances of terrorist operations going on. The district police chiefs are also appointed to teach these VDGs about the handling and operation of these weapons while routes infiltrated more by terrorists will simultaneously have more VDGs for the rural people’s safeguarding. These newer semi-automatic weapons will help them respond far more swiftly and effectively to any terror threats from outside.
Formerly known to be Village Defence Committees, the VDGs came to exist around the mid-1990s in Jammu and Kashmir, specifically the Doda- Kishtwar districts for training the villagers against the Pakistan-sponsored militant groups. There were about 4125 VDGs who were trained by the army for intelligence handling and weapons gathering allocated only in the Union Territories. They were initially established to protect villages around the border and protect infrastructural installations in that region. They were eventually dismissed by the police department around 2015, but Union Minister Jitendra Singh who is also the Minister of Parliament of Kathua- Doda districts, assured they were still kept under a state of suspension until the recent terror attacks that followed increasing their need.