Jammu: Women Village Defence Guards (VDGs) are safeguarding remote villages of the Jammu region during the winter months, when many men migrate to other parts of the country in search of livelihood.
Equipped with .303 rifles after undergoing training provided by various security agencies, the women members of VDGs are deployed in difficult terrain, often in isolated and vulnerable areas, Superintendent of Police Bhaderwah Vinod Sharma said.
Training shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts, these women remain resolute in defending their communities against terrorist threats, he said.
Their presence has significantly strengthened local security arrangements, particularly during periods when villages face reduced manpower, the officer said, admitting that women’s participation in village defence is not a new phenomenon in the region.
In September 2009, Rukhsana Kausar, a Gujjar woman from Upper Kalsi in Rajouri district, displayed exemplary bravery and shot dead a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, an act that earned her numerous national and state awards, including Kirti Chakra, the country’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award, besides a job in Jammu and Kashmir Police.
“In the hilly Chenab region, particularly in Doda, harsh winters compel many men to migrate to states such as Uttarakhand, Delhi and Mumbai in search of livelihood. This seasonal migration leaves several villages without able-bodied male members, except for a few elderly residents, making them vulnerable to the activities of anti-national elements,” Sharma said.
To address this gap, he said the state police has trained women as VDGs.
“They are equally committed to the security and sovereignty of the country, and we train them in tactics and strategies to counter terrorist threats. They have performed exceptionally well, and the results so far have been very encouraging,” the officer said.
Dozens of armed women VDGs could be seen patrolling their villages in remote pockets of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts, and they have proved their mettle and emerged as a reliable force to counter the insurgency and protect their respective villages in the absence of their male counterparts, the SP added.
They are actively participating in training being provided by the police and the Army in far-off villages and hamlets, most of them located in dense forests and vulnerable to possible terrorist activities, he said.
“We are trained to fight terrorists and all of us are ready to face the enemies of the nation,” Shivani (21), a VDG from Civilli village, said.
Shivani, along with other women guards, is upbeat as they keep a close watch in their villages in the Gandoh tehsil of Doda, bordering Himachal Pradesh.
The Doda region has witnessed many massacres when terrorism was at its peak in the 1990s. The VDGs include both Hindu and Muslim members, including women, the officer said.
“When most of the males migrate to earn a livelihood, we shoulder the responsibility to keep our vulnerable villages safe,” Shivani said.
Political representatives have also praised the bravery of women VDG members, crediting them with helping maintain a secure environment in remote and hilly areas.
“Women in our area lead a very tough life in these hills. Every day, they have to venture into dense forests to collect firewood and fodder for their cattle, as male members migrate to other cities and towns for work. In their absence, these brave women joined the Village Defence Groups and have successfully emerged as the protectors of what would otherwise be vulnerable to militant attacks,” Bhaderwah MLA Daleep Singh Parihar said.
The BJP legislator said, “They have grown up listening to the stories of the bravery of Rani Lakshmibai, the Queen of Jhansi, and there are hundreds of such women in our hilly region.”
