After seven Hindu individuals were killed in two attacks in the Dhangri village in Kashmir in early January, the Indian government has taken action to revive the Village Defense Group, a government-sponsored militia. The decision to rearm the civilian militia was made after hundreds of residents in the Hindu-dominated Jammu region staged protests in response to the violence. The Village Defense Group, initially formed in the 1990s as the first line of defence against anti-India insurgents, was disbanded due to controversy surrounding the brutality and rights violations committed by some of its members.
Satish Kumar, a former Indian army soldier, was among the first to join the militia, armed with a semiautomatic rifle and 100 bullets. He said joining the group was the only way to protect his family from terrorists and combat fear. However, the decision to revitalize the Village Defense Group is not without controversy, as it could further weaponize divisions in Jammu’s volatile hinterland, where communal strife has historically existed.
The police have blamed militants fighting against Indian rule for the violence in Dhangri, two months later, no suspects have been named, causing fear and anger among the village residents. Muslim residents in the village have been refused the opportunity to join the militia, causing sharpening divisions. Meanwhile, hundreds of former militia members in the remote hamlets of Rajouri are taking their weapons out of storage. The Indian government’s decision to arm the civilians has been criticized as “dangerous for any society” and a “tacit admission of failure to secure a society” by political analyst Zafar Choudhary.
Despite the criticism, the government has justified the decision to arm civilians by claiming that it deters militant activity and helps prevent the out-migration of Hindus from remote areas. A pivotal role was played by the Village Defense Group in defeating Pakistani attempts to incite communal tensions in the past, according to police. The International Association of Chiefs of Police even awarded the region’s police for their efforts.
However, the consequences of arming civilians remain to be seen and revitalizing the Village Defense Group raises concerns about the potential for further violence and rights violations. The situation in Dhangri serves as a reminder of the delicate and complex situation in Kashmir, where the Indian government’s efforts to shape a “Naya Kashmir” have been met with resistance and concerns over the curbing of civil liberties.