CRPF to provide arms training to Village Defence Guards in J&K, VDG members provided SLRs for first time

Central Reserved Police Forces (CRPF) will provide arms training to Village Defence Groups (VDGs) to tackle terrorists in case of attack in J&K.

 

 

Pertinent to mention here that the UT administration last week started reissuing weapons to the VDGs, after a twin terror attacks in Dhangri in Rajouri district in which seven Hindus including two children were selectively killed and 14 injured by the terrorists.

 

 

CRPF inspector Varinder Kumar told ANI,"In view of recent attacks, we have been deployed here. They have weapons and we are providing them training to act in emergency situations."

 

 

 

 

"We are getting good training from CRPF. We are ready to sacrifice our lives for the country," says Arif, VDG member Rajouri.

 

 

It is to be noted here that VDGs earlier known as Village Defence Committees (VDCs) comprise local village volunteers and they were first activated in the 1990’s in several districts of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of Pakistani sponsored terrorists attacks. Since then, they have played a significant role in self-defence, assisting forces in anti-terror operations and maintaining vigil in respective border villages.

 

 

Earlier, the VDCs were only equipped with .303 rifles and demands were being raised for long to replace these outdated rifles with the automatic ones to tackle the terror threats more effectively so authorities handed over Self loading Rifles (SLRs) to the VDGs in Dhangri village after more than a week of terrorist attack.

 

 

Around 40 ex-servicemen living in the area and identified by a panchayat- level committee were given SLRs along with 100 bullets each at the camp, the officials said, adding that most of these ex-servicemen had served in the Army and volunteered themselves to act as VDGs.

 

 

The J&K administration has asked the VDGs to remain vigilant in view of the upcoming Republic Day celebrations, amid fears that terrorists may disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the Jammu region, officials said.

 

 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday during a security review meeting with J&K BJP leaders said that conspiracy to flare up terror in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch will be foiled . He added that additional troops will be sent in sensitive areas and every challenge thrown by the inimical forces will be met with very effectively.