In J&K’s remote hills, women become the first line of defence in winters

Undeterred by the harsh weather conditions, a large army of Women Village Defence Guards (VDGs) deployed in the hilly districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban is acting as a force multiplier by coming to the aid of security personnel in their fight against terrorism in the region.

In the absence of menfolk, who step out of their villages to earn a livelihood in the winter months, these women VDGs not only shoulder the responsibilities at home but also participate in regular patrol duties in the area to ensure the safety of their homes and hearths.

Each day, a group of women, clad in their winter clothing, trek hilly stretches equipped with .303 rifles to maintain a tight vigil on the movement of suspected terrorists in the close vicinity of their remote villages.These VDGs serve as the first line of defence in the remote areas, and the security personnel also rely on them to track down the footprints of terrorists hiding in the thickly forested areas of Doda and Kishtwar.

"The harsh weather conditions do not deter us. We are trained to fight terrorists, and all of us are ready to face the enemies of the nation," Shivani (21), a VDG member, said.Shivani, along with other women guards, is upbeat as they keep a close watch in their villages in the Gandoh tehsil of Doda, bordering Himachal Pradesh."When most of the males migrate to earn a livelihood, we shoulder the responsibility to keep our vulnerable villages safe," Shivani said.

Women stand guard at vantage locations and keep a hawk's eye on the movement of suspected terrorists in the remote villages.Soon after noticing any suspicious movement, these VDGs immediately inform the local police or the nearby army camp about the movement of suspected personnel in their area.To boost their morale, the security forces provide them training to handle automatic rifles (recently upgraded to self-loading rifles), self-defence tactics, bunker construction, minor combat skills, and repelling attacks. More than 27,000 VDG members are enrolled with the  Home Department in Jammu and Kashmir.

Superintendent of Police, Bhaderwah, Vinod Sharma, said the Women VDG members participate in the training session with equal vigour and commitment. He said their presence has significantly strengthened local security arrangements, particularly during periods when men migrate to urban centres to earn their livelihood.A senior police officer who supervises training camps of VDGs said, "The VDGs largely assist the security forces by acting as their eyes and ears on the ground to prevent any major infiltration bid while directly fighting with the terrorists in the hilly areas of the Chenab valley region, where the minority population was targeted to trigger a second wave of migration".

On the eve of the new year, the Indian Army launched a special training drive for 150 Village Defence Guards (VDGs), including women volunteers, from 17 remote villages in Doda district.Similar camps were organised across the frontier districts of Rajouri and Poonch, as well as in the Kathua, Samba, Reasi, and Udhampur districts.The objective was to boost the security preparedness amid reports of suspected movement of foreign terrorists in the upper reaches of the Jammu division.

Political representatives have also praised the bravery of women VDG members, crediting them with helping maintain a secure environment in remote and hilly areas."Women in our area lead a very tough life in these hills. Every day, they have to venture into dense forests to collect firewood and fodder for their cattle, as male members migrate to other cities and towns for work. In their absence, these brave women joined the Village Defence Groups and have successfully emerged as the rotectors of what would otherwise be vulnerable to terrorist attacks," Bhaderwah MLA Daleep Singh Parihar said.They are actively participating in training being provided by the police and the Army in far-off villages and hamlets, most of them located in dense forests and vulnerable to possible terrorist activities, he said.

“We are trained to fight terrorists and all of us are ready to face the enemies of the nation,” Shivani (21), a VDG from Civilli village, said.Shivani, along with other women guards, is upbeat as they keep a close watch in their villages in the Gandoh tehsil of Doda, bordering Himachal Pradesh.

The Doda region has witnessed many massacres when terrorism was at its peak in the 1990s. The VDGs include both Hindu and Muslim members, including women, the officer said.

“When most of the males migrate to earn a livelihood, we shoulder the responsibility to keep our vulnerable villages safe,” Shivani said.Political representatives have also praised the bravery of women VDG members, crediting them with helping maintain a secure environment in remote and hilly areas.

“Women in our area lead a very tough life in these hills. Every day, they have to venture into dense forests to collect firewood and fodder for their cattle, as male members migrate to other cities and towns for work. In their absence, these brave women joined the Village Defence Groups and have successfully emerged as the protectors of what would otherwise be vulnerable to militant attacks,” Bhaderwah MLA Daleep Singh Parihar said.

The BJP legislator said, “They have grown up listening to the stories of the bravery of Rani Lakshmibai, the Queen of Jhansi, and there are hundreds of such women in our hilly region.”