Militancy has been an issue in Jammu and Kashmir since the early 1990s and in recent times, there have been incidents wherein the militants have resorted to targeting civilians and minorities of the region. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs in March 2022 approved the setting up of Village Defence Guards (VDGs). It is a version of an earlier scheme of Village Defence Committees (VDCs) where each VDG will be provided a gun and 100 rounds of ammunition and will be given a monthly stipend. The VDGs will function under the direction of the SSP/SP of the concerned district. Setting up of the VDGs can instill a sense of security and self-protection among the people of J&K against militancy due to the following reasons:

• Success of the earlier version: The earlier version i.e. VDCs was considered a success and militants were fearful of these groups. They played a significant role in combating militancy in the region.
• Presence of frontline warriors: VDGs will act as frontline warriors in remote areas where there is poor road network and difficult terrain, which delay the arrival of security forces.
• Knowledge of local areas: Locals are also well-versed with the topography of the region and will help in averting militancy attacks and combating them in a swift manner.
• Adequate training: VDGs will be trained and will be provided arms, which will boost their confidence against the militants.

Issues with the VDGs:

• Abuse of authority: Like the armed forces under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), VDCs were often criticized for abusing their authority by violating human rights and committing crimes such as extortion in their respective regions. Thus, there is apprehension of VDGs abusing their authority in a similar manner.
• Top-down approach: The present-day methodology of being under the Superintendent of Police may not be an ideal arrangement, as it will require close supervision at the executive level or by some higher authority.
• Armed civilians: Arming the civilians is not an ideal solution, as it might create issues of law and order in the region.

Suggestions to improve the functioning of VDGs:

• Increasing manpower: Following the recent Dhangri incident in the Rajouri district, it is important to recruit more members in the VDGs and extend the areas of their coverage.
• Modern training: VDGs need to be trained with modern arms and should be technologically empowered to enable them to become a counterforce against traditional militants and to tackle infiltration from borders, drone-based attacks, etc.
• Empowering local institutions: Entrusting local bodies to manage the VDGs would elicit a positive response from the population that normally does not manifest when a measure is enforced top-down in a bureaucratic manner.
• Limiting their roles: The VDGs must be confined to ‘self-defense and deterrence roles’ and should never be involved in proactive intelligence or tactical operations to prevent them from becoming an agency running behind the number game of militants’ hunt. Further, it should be ensured that they do not abuse their position in the region.

Simply arming citizens to combat militancy is not an adequate measure, thus, the government should also take steps like confidence-building and capacity-building measures and enhance connectivity and infrastructure in the region.