Village Defence Guards Demand Modern Weapons Amid Terror Hunt

Dozens of Village Defence Guards (VDGs), equipped with .303 rifles, are supporting security forces in their search for terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, following the killing of four soldiers.

The VDGs insist on modernizing their slow bolt-action rifles with sophisticated automatic weapons to effectively combat heavily-armed militants.

''We have not slept for 14 hours,'' said Sudarshan Singh, a VDG member. ''They escaped from the gunfight in Desa forest on Monday night, but they won't elude us for long. We won't let them get away,'' he told PTI. VDGs, previously known as Village Defence Committees (VDCs) comprising 10-15 members, were formed in 1995 for village self-defense against terror threats.

From late Tuesday night to early Wednesday, security forces and terrorists engaged in gunfights in the Desa forest area. VDGs fired upon observing suspicious movements, and explosives were recovered. Sudarshan Singh stressed the inadequacy of .303 rifles against automatic weapons and called for a proper policy framework for VDGs.

According to the 2022-23 report from the home ministry, 4,153 VDGs and 32,355 Special Police Officers (SPOs) are engaged in Jammu and Kashmir for civilian protection and anti-terror operations under police supervision.

(With inputs from agencies.)