WITH the focus of militant activity having shifted from the Kashmir Valley to the upper regions of Jammu where the population is divided almost equally among Muslims and Hindus, the administration has to first think of ways to check a possible communal flare-up, before curbing insurgency. Eight incidents of mass killings of Hindus within four months in Doda, Udhampur, Poonch and Chamba (Himachal Pradesh) has jolted the establishment out of its wits.
Poor communication and road networks, the difficult hilly terrain and lack of troops have hamstrung the local administration. The total area of Doda district is 11,691 sq km, with about 45 people per square km. "The villages are scattered. And the mountain caves and thick forests on the upper reaches provide the best shelter to the militants who come from across the border," says a Rashtriya Rifle officer.
What is more disturbing is that the devices applied by the state to tackle militancy with the help of the "people" haven't quite clicked, only widening the rift between Hindus and Muslims. Take the Village Defence Committees (VDCs). Two years ago, the government decided to organise village youths under the VDCs and provide them with guns to defend themselves. Now, the VDCs have become armed organisations of the Hindus, with very few Muslims willing to join them. According to official sources, there are around 670 VDCs in Doda district alone and 98 per cent of the members are Hindus.
Muslims are opposed to the idea of arming "one particular community", whereas Hindus say they have to take up guns to survive. Says Hashmi, an advocate in Doda: "Armed forces are needed but they have to be kept under control. Giving arms to one community is explosive. There are goons in every community and they might use guns to settle personal scores."
The lawyer notes that Hindus and Muslims have been living amicably in the area but with the introduction of VDCs a change in the attitude of the people is perceptible. Points out Naseer Khora, a local scribe: "The majority community (Muslims) has not been given weapons. Their requests for arms have fallen on deaf ears."
Reports of VDC members indulging in criminal activities have come to the notice of the authorities. In some cases, the district administration has taken action against errant members. Admits Devendre Nargotra, DC, Doda: "We have taken action against some VDC members; some have been arrested."
But many other cases, say locals, have been suppressed. For example, in Karada village, four Muslims were killed, allegedly by VDC members. The incident was even brought to the notice of the chief minister.
It's becoming quite routine for delegations of villagers to meet the administration and police officers to complain about the "highhandedness" of the VDCs. Noor Mohammad (30) of village Halla in Doda told Outlook: "VDC people come to Muslim villages and open fire. Then they go to the army to complain. The army and VDC people say we will kill the Muslims the way the militants kill the Hindus." The possibility of some of the complaints being motivated and exaggerated cannot be ruled out as many times the villagers have to follow the militants' diktat.
There are three key militant outfits active in Doda-Udhampur-Jammu region. The deadliest is the Lashkar-e-Toiba, constituted fully of foreign mercenaries. According to police sources, Lashkar has 150 to 200 mercenaries active in the area. Among others, the pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen has 230 to 300 militants and the Harkat-ul-Ansar has 250 to 300 militants. All these outfits have small units of 6 to 25 militants armed to the teeth and equipped with imported Kenwood wireless sets.
Though the army keeps surveillance on the wireless communication between militants, it is difficult to decode ciphered messages. One intercept made available to Outlook pertains to new recruits. It reads: "Razak kitne naye ladke lekar aya hai." Another message reads: "Harkat has sent 15 militants; they are in the Dalda area. They will be putting up at Ghulam Mohammad's hotel. Take care, the situation is not very conducive." Dalda is the code name for Doda, points out an army officer. The name of the hotel owner might have been thrown in to confuse the army.
THE scenario in Doda couldn't have been more favourable for militant activity. Says Muneer Ahmed Khan, senior SP of Doda: "The ISI is now not bothered about the fight between India and Pakistan. They want Ram and Rahim to fight. Unfortunately they are being successful in their designs." The Hindus constitute 48 per cent of the population. "The situation here is very different from the Valley where Kashmiri Pandits were a minuscule minority. Here Hindus are not less in number, therefore attention has to be on maintaining communal peace," says a top government official.
Those who support the VDCs have become targets of the militants since they are seen as anti-Muslim. Thus, on the night of July 27, militants killed nine people of Hadna village in the Thakrai area of Kishtwar tehsil because the villagers had decided to set up a VDC. The news somehow leaked out and the militants struck.
Instead of reining in the VDCs, the BJP, which is drawing flak for its all round failure to contain militancy, has stepped up its activities through the VDCs. Admits Nirmal Singh, state secretary of the Jammu & Kashmir unit of the BJP: "RSS and BJP workers are there in the villages but without declaring their organisational affiliations." Unofficially, the Rashtriya Rifles has undertaken the responsibility of training VDC members. There is a lot of apprehension in army circles that despite this training, the village youth might surrender arms to the militants once they confront them. Incidents of VDC volunteers crossing over to the militants have also been reported.
CLEARLY, all is not well with the VDCs. Most of its members are young unemployed poor Hindu lads who volunteered hoping that in due course of time they might be absorbed as permanent government servants. "We get only Rs 6 per day. But even that amount has not been paid for the last two years while surrendered militants are getting Rs 1,800 per month from the government," says Arjun Singh of Sirtangal village in Bhaderwah tehsil.
Though organised for a different purpose, VDC volunteers have ended up working as porters for the army. Not only that, the Rashtriya Rifles uses the VDC volunteers as local guides. In many combing operations the VDC members with .303 rifles are sent ahead to locate the militants. Ironically, if a VDC member disobeys the army, he is punished.
Surendra Kadal, VDC "commander" of Mounda village near Bhaderwah, is one such victim. He has led the Rashtriya Rifle jawans in many operations with the .303 rifle which he cannot handle. Kadal said his brother was beaten up by the jawans when he refused to accompany them on an operation. That many of the VDC members are ill-trained was evident when Kadal almost killed someone while trying to show off his military skills to the Outlook team in Sartangal. His rifle went off when he was trying to remove the magazine.
With the BJP failing to check militant attacks on villagers, questions are being asked about the effectiveness of the party's much-touted proactive policy vis-a-vis Kashmir. Union home minister L.K. Advani, who once accused other parties of being callous to the "plight of the Kashmiri Hindu", finds he has no answer to the continued targeting of Hindus in Doda.
Doda looks like a ghost town. Markets are shut most days in Kishtwar, Bhaderwah and the district headquarters. During the day traders observe hartal to protest against the killings of innocent Hindus. At night curfew is clamped to "avert any communal backlash." As for the militants, people are only too aware that they could strike any time.
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