Arms and the woman

 

SURANKOTE (Jammu): When 26-year-old Munira Begum left the pots and pans in her kitchen to pick up a gun, she inspired many others like her to join the self-defence drive against militants in Kulali village of Surankote, once a hotbed of militancy.

 

Frail-looking Munira is like any other ordinary Gujjar woman in Kulali-Hilkaka, where family traditions are revered. But constant oppression by militants has compelled its women to join the village defence committees. They even helped the Army to flush out terrorists during Operation Sarp Vinash. "We were at the receiving end. The ultras threatened us, took away our food, demanded shelter and targeted our menfolk. We felt very insecure when the men went to work," says Munira.

 

It was Munira's husband Tahir Fazal Hussain who mobilised the villagers to take up arms after his brother Arif Hussain was killed by militants. The security forces provided the arms, and trained the villagers to engage the militants till they could be rounded up.
 
"I can handle an AK-47 or a .303 rifle. A few years back, there was an attack on our house. I fired from my rifle, injuring two militants," says Munira.

 

According to Colonel RKSingh, commanding officer of 16 Rashtriya Rifles, at least 15 women are members of village defence committees (VDCs) in Kulali-Hilkaka area alone.

 

"These women were alone at home and vulnerable. They have now taken up arms to ward off militants. Women are still an important factor in VDCs, though the area has been cleared off," says Col Singh.

 

Twenty-five km away from Kulali, in Dandidara village, 20 male VDCs have trained their womenfolk to handle arms. The village, situated at the top of a mountain, has no road connectivity. One has to climb mountain ridges to reach it. The area, covered by dense forests, was like the militants' headquarters.

 

Jamsheeda Begum, 30, of Dandidara is illiterate, and the mother of five children. She can now easily operate a .303 rifle. "Militants used to roam the neighbouring jungles, and take away everything we cooked. We took arms training to confront them in the absence of our menfolk," says Jamsheeda.

 

Twenty-eight-year-old Zulfa Bi of Dandidara had a duel with the ultras when they attacked her house. "They asked me to hand over my 15-year-old son so that he could be sent to Pakistan for arms training. They even offered me Rs2 lakh for this. It was getting out of hand," says Zulfa Bi.

 

Today, Dandidara is a peaceful village with Army posts on high ridges. Both men and women have taken up arms to fight the militants. "We have set up posts in the village. The people have taken the initiative to fight the militants. We provide them support. With our joint efforts, the area has been cleared up," says Major Vinod Yadav, company commander of a Rashtriya Rifles at Dandidara.

 

Some analysts, however, feel women have become more vulnerable by taking up arms in remote areas. "It is an act of desperation. It has made women VDC members more vulnerable," says Prof Rekha Chaudhary, head of the Department of Political Science, University of Jammu.

 

Others tend to disagree with that notion. "I worked in that area as relief commissioner during the 1971 war. People were highly touchy about honour. This is the driving force for women to take up arms to save themselves from the militants. Besides, people have realised that terrorism has eaten into the vitals of society, and it needs immediate remedial measures," says MM Khajuria, a former director general of police.