Since Kashmir was divided between India and Pakistan 76 years ago, the two countries have disputed the sovereignty of the entire region, unless it not only caused two wars between the two countries, but also caused the emergence of separatist groups from the population of the region. Indian forces have fought for the past three decades, demanding the independence of Kashmir or annexing it to Pakistan.
And while Kashmir was the scene of decades of conflict that claimed the lives of thousands of civilians and military personnel, recent years have witnessed an exacerbation of tension after New Delhi imposed its direct authority over the region in August 2019, which prompted the Indian government to adopt a new strategy by which it revived the local Hindu militias known as "Guardians". Defending the Village", by arming and forming it officially and openly to intimidate and harass the Muslim population of Kashmir.
According to security officials, more than 5,000 Hindus in two border areas have been armed by Indian paramilitary forces. While the Indian government forces recently armed and trained 150 people in the aftermath of the attack on the village of Dungari in Kashmir, which led to the killing of 7 Hindus, according to a report published by the French Press Agency recently.
The origin of the story
The Village Defense Guards (VDGs) militia was initially set up in the mid-1990s as a Hindu security force to protect villages in Jammu and Kashmir from infiltration by militants. At that time, it had about 4,000 members and more than 27,000 volunteers.
However, over the years, these militias have become increasingly politicized and have been accused of targeting and harassing the Muslim population of the region. There are numerous reports of law enforcement groups being involved in extrajudicial killings and other forms of torture against Muslims in Kashmir.
These groups have been accused of cooperating closely with Indian security forces to maintain control of the region and suppress dissent. Recent years have seen a rise in the number of VDGs in Kashmir, and the Indian government has actively encouraged their growth.
With the support of Narendra Modi's nationalist government, new Hindu militias were formed last year in villages that have a large number of Hindus at the initiative of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, after a series of operations targeting Indian policemen in Kashmir.
Systematic terrorism
When New Delhi stripped Indian-administered Kashmir of its limited autonomy in 2019, the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party government defended the move, claiming it would stamp out a decades-long armed insurgency in the disputed region. Just three years later, now the same government is reviving a Hindu militia to terrorize the Muslim population.
After the government announced plans to train and arm thousands of youths from villages across the region to serve in the ranks of these militias, the move was widely criticized as an attempt to enable Hindu militias to suppress Islamist opposition in the region.
Although the Indian government has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the Village Defense Guard militias are necessary to maintain law and order in the region, activists and human rights groups have more than once expressed concern that the government is using these groups to advance its own agenda and suppress dissent.
According to the AFP report, human rights organizations have accused members of these militias of committing atrocities against civilians. At least 210 cases of murder, rape and extortion have been filed, according to official figures, but less than 2% of the accused have been convicted.
Muslim fears
Demands for the dissolution of civilian militias grew in the early 2000s as the insurgency began to wane and rebel groups lost influence. However, in conjunction with the New Delhi government's announcement of imposing its full control over the region in 2019, separatist attacks increased, which gave impetus to voices calling for the revival of the " Village Defense Guard " militia.
While the plans to revive these extremist militias are very popular among the Hindu population, Muslims fear that these militias will exacerbate tension and problems in Kashmir.
Despite statements by the militia's trainers, who are from the paramilitary Central Reserve Police force, that members of these militias will be punished for misusing these weapons, Muslims in the region are concerned about the manner in which weapons are being distributed to young men, according to an elderly Muslim living in Dungari. He spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.
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