Shiban Khaibri
It sounds not that convincing that the village defence committees, which were set up to counter acts of terrorism against the innocent and unarmed villagers living in far flung mountainous regions of Jammu division, be dissolved and disarmed. It is also surprising that not only leaders with separatist ideology from Kashmir valley but also many mainstream politicians from the ruling and the opposition parties in the state should echo such feelings. Hurriyat leader Syed Geelani attributes unfounded and baseless motives behind creation of such VDCs and is seeing in it, the aim of crushing the “pro freedom movement” in Jammu region. VDCs are, therefore, seen by him as a “threat” to what he calls as “the freedom movement”. The considered “soft liner” Hurriyat leader, Omar Farooq finds creation of VDCs as “unleashing of reign of terror in Muslim belts of Jammu region which could take the shape of communal riots.” The other pro- separatist “leaders” too have similar views. The avoidable statements of a few leaders of NC and the PDP in respect of disbanding and dissolving of such VDCs are not conducive to and in consonance with, the ground realities and are perhaps, attempts to highlight alleged sporadic cases of some criminal acts, committed by a few members of the VDCs to make that an alibi and thus build a case for disbanding of such committees. State Congress chief, Saif-ud-Din Soz , however, while being critical of VDCs’, opines that let “people of Jammu districts (where these committees are existing) decide about disbanding of such committees.
A holistic view of the issue taken with sincere intentions, can only laud and appreciate the vast contribution of such committees in holding at bay, the militant, read terrorist acts, in Jammu areas of Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch and other far flung areas where these VDCs are operational. That the mechanism and the strategies employed by the militants have been in constant sphere of “periodic reviews and surprises” on the instructions and sponsoring from across the border, should lend more support to continuance of these committees and a hazy “peaceful situation” not in any way, set in an air of complacency which may lead to either reduction or disbanding of such committees. The current deceptive picture of a lull of “no incidents of any fresh terror violence” for quite some time should not be masqueraded as “peace having retuned and militant activities having come to an end”. Scores of dastardly committed acts of swooping on villages and killing innocent people in Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch and other areas in Jammu division by Pakistani sponsored, trained and indoctrinated terrorists are still fresh in every body’s memory. We also know that in such attacks, the worst sufferers have been the women and the children. These terrorists have been indiscriminate in killing members of the minority as well as majority communities in these places, taking benefit of the nature of inaccessibility of the areas by the security forces being both remote, far flung as well as mountainous. A strong need was, therefore, felt to protect the targeted civilians especially the women folk and hence the VDCs. A total of nearly 445 VDCs are functional in the state whereby the male as well as female members have been trained in how to defend from and thwart attacks of militants which usually have a surprise and swift element in their attacks. The VDC members are trained in elementary battle craft and field craft drills including stalking, crawling and firing practices.
The role by the brave female members of the families like that of the young Rukhsana has reinforced the hope of the authorities that when it comes to defend one’s family, the village etc, the females do not lag behind their male members. Rukhsana grappled with a well trained top Lashkar -e- Taiba terrorist as if she herself was a trained commando and killed the attacker who had barged into her house in Sept 2009, heading a group of three, to kill Rukhsana’s family and abduct her. She was honoured and given awards by the Government and various social organizations for her act of exemplary bravery. Rukhsana , while taking the main National bravery award, said that women living in remote areas where it was not possible for security forces to keep round the clock vigil, should be imparted training so that they can protect not only themselves but even other families. . It was around that time when three young girls were kidnapped by terror outfits from Bhardwah in Doda district and taken to the other side of the LOC to be later used for terror activities to further the so called “freedom movement” and also be their targets of physical assaults. The first women village defence committees had been set up in the twin villages of Marah and Kulali in Poonch district. It may be recalled that in Katha in Poonch district in 2010, terrorists had barged into the villagers’ houses and killed 12 women and children as male members were out for their routine work. A strong need was therefore felt that innocent villagers be provided with some basic type of a self defence system so as to take on the invading criminals .VDC of Marah has virtually become a role model for others.
These committees have worked wonders and any body can guess the likely situation in these areas in absence of such committees at the hands of the ruthless militants, out to destroy and damage the peace, prosperity and the progress of the people living in such far flung areas. It is a proud spectacle to find women, mostly from the Muslim community, sporting rifles on their shoulders while grazing cattle in deep forests or keeping a vigil on their roof tops. Those who advocate total disbanding of such committees must not forget many massacres committed by the Pakistan trained terrorists in these hilly areas. Many people including the terrorists were killed in the remotest Hill Kaka bowl of Surankote in 2003 as the area was heavily fortified and large stocks of arms and ammunition kept here, bunkers and hideouts built by these terrorists.
In 2004, the militants attacked Kalali village and killed 14 women and children followed by attack on village Thawa of Kulhand near Doda where 22 were killed and 15 wounded, out of which one more with as many as 36 bullets fired on his legs, died in the hospital. The heartlessness of the militants can be gauged by their swooping on a sleeping village in the dead of night in July 2006 in Magnar – Poonch, where they indiscriminately fired on the sleeping children, killing four on the spot and wounding many. If there would have been no VDCs , many civilian killings would have taken place in Nov 2003 at Gool, Arnas in Udhampur Jammu as the committee members repulsed and rebuffed strong terror attacks.
It is not at all advisable or feasible to take any step towards winding up of these committees as it might prove suicidal looking to the contours of the proxy war unleashed by our neighbour against this country. This also has to be seen in the perspective of the escalated terror activities in the state especially in the valley, now almost with more frequencies laced with border violations and infiltration attempts near LOC in Jammu and Kashmir made by Pakistan. Let the gains of whatever small magnitude achieved by VDCs be not lost to invite more trouble in this state, especially in the hilly mountainous regions. Any misadventure or committing of any illegal act by any one associated with any VDC must be dealt with firmly as a deterrent for others. Let narrow politics be abandoned and not prove as a potential risk for the soft and innocent targets any more.
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