RAJOURI - Villagers in Kashmir have formed Village Defence Committees (VDCs), and vowed to cooperate with the security forces in fighting militancy.
Authorities said the training imparted to villagers in Rajouri district of the state is mainly aimed at making them secure. It will help contain the insurgency as well as prevent large-scale migration caused by the violence.
“The main role of VDCs is to dominate their area because there are minorities in the area. The VDCs do not directly involve in poll purposes, they are only there to dominate and secure themselves,” S.D.S Jamwal, deputy inspector general of Rajouri-Poonch range.
Feroz, one of the villagers undergoing the training, said they have participated in a number of joint exercises with security personnel.
“Militancy has increased in the area in the wake of parliamentary elections. We are cooperating with the Army, the BSF and the Special Operation Groups. We have carried out many search operation with the security whereby we search empty houses in the forested area. We are carrying out many combined operations,” Feroz said.