August 14, 2007: Indian villagers get anti-terror training

[Undertoad]

Yeah! You go girl! An official caption says

Ladies of the Village Defense Committee squeeze off a few AK-47 bursts during training by the Indian army in Sariya, India. VDCs are local self-defense groups that were set up in Jammu and Kashmir in the mid-1990's following a number of massacres. The idea is to help villagers in remote areas defend themselves against terrorist attacks and intimidation.

An Indian co-worker of mine recognized the phenomenon immediately: the Village Defense Committee is a familiar thing in many parts of India. Here, it's a case of colorful and joyful female empowerment.



Another Indian co-worker mentioned that, in the old class system in India, she was of the second-highest class which is roughly the warrior class. Her ancient family history was in the military. It seemed funny because the lady in question is 5 feet tall and of a totally gentle disposition. But terrorists beware: there are hidden warriors in India, and they're armed, dangerous, and some are kinda cute as well.