Village Guard (VG) personnel on house guard duty during a recent visit of a VIP to Pungro town in Kiphire district.
Ashikho Pfuzhe
Dimapur | July 29
For all their “service, courage & sacrifice”, the Village Guard (VG) personnel acting as vanguard to the administration and police in remote and border areas, do not have enough bullets in their antique 303 rifles.
A VG constable Pungro area in Kiphire district disclosed that he was issued a single bullet along with the accompanying rifle when he joined the force four years ago. Since then, he has been performing various duties like road opening party (ROP) and house guard to visiting VIPs with a single bullet in his gun as no additional bullets were issued to him.
“The VG whom I replaced deposited 25 bullets and his service weapon at the VG office when he voluntarily quit from the force four years ago. But at the time of appointment, they issued me only one bullet”, the VG constable said on condition of anonymity. VG sources disclosed that earlier each volunteer was issued 50 bullets at the time of joining the force.
Similar to the ammunition scam in the police department, there were also allegations of “misappropriation” of bullets by officers of Pungro VG office, which led to protests by newly joined VG personnel in February this year. Subsequently, the officer concerned was discharged from service and there are now talks going on for issuing more ammunition to the VGs, sources said.
VGs are a permanent feature of the topography of backward districts like Mon, Tuensang and Kiphire sharing borders with Myanmar and many VGs carry their service weapons even to their fields.
“After duty, we keep our rifles in our own houses and safekeeping of the weapons is our full responsibility”, a VG another constable said.
Apart from the primary role of protecting and defending their own villages, the village guards perform ROP and house guard duties to visiting VIPs, act as guides and interpreters to administrative officers. They can also make arrests and apprehend criminals.
The idea of raising the unique institution of Village Guard was conceived by then Major R. Kathing of the Indian Frontier Administrative Service when Naga insurgents attacked Pangsha village in Tuensang district in February 1957. Subsequently, the Village Guards was formally raised on March 1, 1957, with 300 volunteers joining the force.
Presently, there are around 10,000 VG personnel spread in border villages in the districts of Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng and Phek (Meluri sub-division).
On March 1, 2007, the Village Guard with motto “Service, courage & sacrifice”, celebrated its 50th anniversary at Kohima in a befitting manner with the then Nagaland governor, K. Sankaranarayanan, gracing the celebration.
As recognition of their service, the state government in March 2011 also enhanced the monthly honorarium of the village guards from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500.
