Context: 

The rise in terror-related strikes in the relatively peaceful Jammu division, especially in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch has led to demands to revive Village Defence Committees. 

Need for Village Defence Committees;

• The dynamics of militancy in these regions of Jammu are different from those prevalent in Kashmir due to the demographic profile of an almost equal proportion of Hindus and Muslims.
• Conflict resolution in such regions is a function of utilising the potential of people by facilitating their participation in decision-making and execution vis-à-vis issues concerning them. 

About Village Defence Committees:

• The recent terror incidents in the Jammu division have led to the revival of the Village Defence Committees (VDC), now called Village Defence Guards (VDG). 
• The VDCs were set up in the mid-1990s and played a crucial role in containing militancy in the region. 
• However, there have been instances of cadre abuse and human rights violations, leading to the need for a better control mechanism. 
• The state policy must aim to mitigate these negatives through proper human resource management and a close supervision of execution.
• A good control mechanism is needed to ensure that VDC cadres remain motivated and focused. 

Empowering Local Institutions:

• Due to the security situation and socio-political uncertainties, the empowerment of local bodies never moved beyond holding elections.
• Panchayats are most suited to understand local dynamics in a conflict zone that change rapidly from one sub-region to the other.
• In addition to the compulsory functions, panchayats could be entrusted with the task of assisting the local police in an institutionalised manner.
• This will create advantages such as:
  • Expanding the stakeholdership of the local population in security matters,
  • A quality check on the character of VDG cadres during the selection stage as well as monitoring their activities.
  • having consolidated control by means of oversight and deterrence.
• The revival of the VDG should be used as an opportunity to empower the local bodies. 

Conclusion

The key to a resolution of challenges in J&K lies in empowering the local population by strengthening democracy and making it more participatory at the grassroots — the Gandhian way of decentralised governance.

News Source: The Hindu

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