STATE TIMES NEWS
DODA/JAMMU: As Zail Singh and Ravita Devi entered wedlock in a remote village in Doda, Village Defence Guards (VDGs) stood guard to ward off any threat from terrorists, who have infiltrated from across the border and are believed to be hiding in the higher reaches of the hilly district.
Hailing from Gadan village of Bhagwah Panchayat, Singh in his mid-20’s performed the marriage rituals with Devi as per already decided dates last week despite his area witnessing a fierce gunfight between terrorists and security forces for several hours on July 9.
Doda in Jammu region was rocked by several terror incidents since June 12, which was seen as an attempt by Pakistan-based terror handlers to revive terrorism in the district after remaining peaceful for over 18 years.
On July 27, the police released sketches of three terrorists responsible for several attacks, including the one on an army search party in Dessa forest that left four soldiers including a captain martyred on July 15.
“The back-to-back terror attacks have sparked panic among the people. This is the marriage season, so we are coming forward to ensure that people celebrate their important occasions without the shadow of terror,” 55-year-old VDG member Bharat Singh, a resident of Gadan village, told PTI.
He said the VDGs have provided security for a few marriage ceremonies in the village and adjoining areas and will be doing so for several other functions which are in pipeline as “people feel safe” by their presence.
Besides the deadly encounter in Dessa forest, the terrorists also injured at least 10 security personnel in separate attacks at Chattergalla pass, Gandoh, Kastigarh and Ghadi Bagwah forest between June 12 and July 18. Three terrorists were killed in a day-long operation in the Gandoh area of the district on June 26, while the search is on to neutralize other splinter groups hiding in the dense forests.
The VDG member said Zail Singh’s father Karan Singh is a Special Police Officer (SPO), so the threat from terrorists was felt more for this function.
“We not only provided protection to the family in the village but also accompanied the ‘bhaarat’ till Deoli village enroute to Koti, some 25 km from Gadan. We returned from halfway after another VDG party took over the charge,” he said.
Recalling past terror attacks on villagers in the district between 1995 and 2006 which claimed a number of lives, Bharat Singh said the VDGs who were earlier known as Village Defence Committees (VDCs) are protecting their villages round-the-clock and had voluntarily come forward to provide protection to families celebrating marriage of their children.
