India intensifies arming of notorious VDG militia in Jammu region
Jammu: New Delhi’s Border Security Force has intensified arms and weapons‑handling training for Village Defence Guards (VDGs) in the Jammu region, further arming the notorious Indian military‑backed militia in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the latest session was conducted at the BSF Border Outpost in Suchetgarh area of Jammu district, where VDG members from Danger and Charkroi villages were trained in weapons handling, firing positions, field movement and crisis-response drills. The move is widely seen as part of a renewed push to prepare private militia to deal with pro-freedom civilian population, particularly during heightened tension with Pakistan.
A BSF official said the force has started “structured arms training” across multiple border outposts to ensure VDGs can act as a first response before regular troops arrive during an emergency.
VDGs – formerly known as Village Defence Committees – had earned notoriety during the 1990s for their involvement in grave human rights violations, including intimidation, harassment and extrajudicial abuses.
Their aggressive reactivation in recent years has raised serious concern among rights groups and local communities in IIOJK.
The revived curriculum includes handling of .303 rifles, SLRs and other authorised weapons, along with night-patrolling basics and communication protocols. India’s Home Ministry has already supplied over 200 SLRs to VDG units in Jammu region.
Political observers maintain that arming civilians under state patronage further militarises the occupied territory and forms part of New Delhi’s broader strategy to tighten control over border populations in IIOJK under the guise of security preparedness.
