Village Defence Committee (VDC) members in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district have undergone specialized training in handling automatic weapons and guerrilla warfare techniques. Officials mentioned that VDC members from Doda district are now equipped to handle security challenges confidently after the training. The training program, conducted by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Doda Police, aimed to enhance security in border villages.
The initiative focused on strengthening internal security and enhancing the readiness of local defense volunteers to counter potential terrorist activities effectively. Led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Operations) Amit Kumar, the training emphasized the handling of Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs) recently provided to VDC members and imparted skills related to guerrilla warfare tactics. The program took place in Lower Bheja village and was attended by VDC members from several villages.
Around 150 VDC members, including two women volunteers from Athkhar Valley of Bhaderwah, participated in the training session. Both male and female VDC members expressed interest in receiving training to handle automatic weapons for self-protection and safeguarding their families from terrorist threats. VDC members have been actively supporting security forces in anti-terror operations since 1997, demonstrating their commitment to protecting their villages and the nation’s sovereignty.
Officials highlighted that the specialized training program is part of a broader strategy to enhance grassroots counter-terrorism preparedness in Doda district. The program equips local volunteers with combat skills, weapon handling expertise, and tactical knowledge to assist security forces in remote areas. Security officials emphasized that strengthening VDCs, along with ongoing anti-terror operations in higher regions, forms a comprehensive security framework to prevent terrorist infiltration and ensure lasting peace in the region.
In Jammu and Kashmir, VDCs are community-based self-defense groups established in the mid-1990s to safeguard remote and vulnerable areas from militant attacks. Initially formed in 1995 in the former Doda district (now Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban), VDCs provided arms and training to local residents, mainly ex-servicemen, for village defense. After the terror attacks in Rajouri in January 2023, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs restructured these units as Village Defence Guards (VDGs).
Each VDG/VDC is supplied with a gun and 100 rounds of ammunition. Under the revised VDG policy, members receive fixed monthly remuneration directly deposited into their bank accounts, resolving past salary disputes. VDGs are predominantly concentrated in border and hilly terrains across the Jammu division, particularly in districts like Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar, and Doda. However, the formation of VDGs did not gain traction in the Valley and has remained limited to remote areas in the Jammu division.
