‘Revive defunct VDCs, set up new’
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 14: The Centre has asked the State Government to re-activate defunct Village Defence Committees (VDCs) and create new, where they have ceased to exist, in villages falling along Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) to serve as another defence line behind Army and BSF to tackle infiltration attempts by the militants.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Union Ministries of Home and Defence were of the view that the VDC members being locals, their activation could serve as “third line of defence” on LoC and IB behind Army and BSF to ensure that if the militants managed to breach “first two lines of defence”, they are spotted and engaged at the third line and killed or captured.
“The idea of creating yet another line of defence behind Army and BSF was revived following inputs that large number of militants have been camping across LoC and IB in Pakistan and that upcoming days could see spurt in infiltration attempts by the militants. Pakistan was desperate to push the militants in the wake of large number of killings of terrorists in the Kashmir valley during Operation All Out,” sources said.
Noting that the VDCs already existed at some of the places along LoC and IB, sources pointed out that due to near normalcy and sharp decline in infiltration attempts in Jammu region, the VDCs had virtually become defunct or were lying very low. At some places, they had been even disbanded.
Sources said: “a direction has now gone to revive the defunct VDCs and set up more, wherever required, to ensure that no infiltration attempt by the militants from Pakistan is successful”.
They added that though Army and BSF have been excellently guarding LoC and IB respectively in Jammu region and haven’t allowed any infiltration attempt to succeed this year but the idea of revival of VDCs would prove useful not only in observing movement of militants but also in keeping vigil on other “undesirable activities”.
Admitting that VDCs at some places had disbanded on their own due to variety of reasons including non-payment of honorarium etc, sources said the existing VDCs would be revived and re-activated while in some of the areas, new VDCs would be set up for maintaining surveillance.
“Priority would be given to the villages falling close to LoC and IB,” they said.
According to sources, the VDCs could also prove useful during Pakistan shelling and firing.
“As the VDC members are locals, they could help in evacuation of injured persons and guide locals in taking shelter at particular places. This can help avoid civilian casualties,” they said, adding that the VDCs could prove useful in restoring confidence among the people.
It may be mentioned here that the VDCs had played very significant role in containing militancy in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts and tracking movement of infiltrators on LoC and IB when the militancy was at its peak and intrusion bids had been quite frequent on the borders.
“The VDCs still exist in majority of remote villages and border areas but in view of normalcy, they had virtually become defunct at many places,” sources said but added that they were going to be revived and re-activated and, wherever required, set up afresh.
There have been reports that number of militants across LoC and IB has been swelling and they were waiting for opportunity to infiltrate into the Indian territory with the backing of Pakistan Army and Rangers. Some militant commanders have also been camping on Pakistan side of LoC and IB to aid the intrusion bids.
In such a scenario, sources said, the VDCs could play very important role.
Follow our WhatsApp channel