In Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Army have increased the militarization of civilian areas by providing weapons training to Village Defence Guards (VDGs) in Doda district. This occurs amid ongoing large-scale cordon and search operations in the Jammu region.
Indian Army trains 150 VDG members
According to Kashmir Media Service, around 150 VDG members, including women, from 17 remote villages in Doda are receiving training under the supervision of the Indian Army. The training covers handling automatic weapons, basic combat tactics, bunker construction, self-defense techniques, and defending against attacks.
These villages are near forested and mountainous areas where the Indian Army, police, and paramilitary forces are conducting extensive cordon-and-search operations under the pretext of suspected militant activity. The training program takes place at Shingini panchayat in the Bhalessa area, about 90 kilometers from Doda district headquarters.
VDG weapons upgraded
Officials say this initiative aims to turn local civilians into a first line of defense in so-called vulnerable areas. It is presented as a supplementary measure to ongoing military operations in Doda and Kishtwar districts.
The occupation authorities have also upgraded VDGs’ weaponry by replacing outdated .303 rifles with self-loading rifles. Critics argue this reflects New Delhi’s policy of arming civilians in conflict zones, further endangering lives and increasing insecurity. Local VDG members confirmed they received weapons training and new rifles, but they also demanded more arms and financial incentives. Some members recalled the heightened violence of the 1990s and requested additional support, including honorariums for unpaid volunteers.
Observers and rights groups have warned that Indian Army civilian groups under the VDG framework risks escalating communal tensions, vigilante violence, and human rights abuses, while absolving the occupying forces of accountability.
Analysts argue this strategy highlights India’s dependence on militarized solutions in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Ongoing operations, civilian arming, and surveillance are contributing to more fear and instability rather than resolving the underlying political conflict.
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