Residents of Poonch and Rajouri districts are a worried lot with the Army initiating the process of withdrawal of more than 15,000 troops belonging to 39 Mountain Division from the area. The Army, however, has said that it is a routine movement and it has nothing to do with the demand of the PDP and the separatists for demilitarisation of the state.
“Militants were earlier afraid to come to our villages due to the presence of the security forces, but now that the troops are being withdrawn we fear the ultras may increase their activities in the area,” said Gafur Ahmed, a resident.
Members of the village defence committees (VDCs) who have been assisting the security forces in carrying out anti-insurgency operations too are worried as they fear that militants might now take revenge.
“The VDCs have been playing an active role in anti-insurgency operations. We also assisted the Army in ‘Operation Sarap Vinash’ in hill Kaka in 2003 when more than 60 terrorists were killed. Since then VDC members are on a hit list of militants,” said VDC member Ajaz Hussain, adding that “after the Army is removed we would become sitting ducks.”
“Yes, people in the area are afraid as they have apprehensions that the withdrawal of a large number of army personnel from the area would make them prone to militant atrocities,” Rajouri SSP Shafkat Wattali told The Tribune.
Wattali said that people of the area took up the issue with the IGP, Jammu range, on his visit to the area and the latter assured them that proper security would be provided to them. “There is a security grid in place in the area and we won’t let the militants have an upper hand here,” Wattali said.
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