“Army belongs to the people and its commitment
will last as long as the involvement
of the people lasts…..”
Army has undertaken a large number of Military Civic
Action programmes aimed at ‘Wining the Hearts and Minds” of the people in
J&K and North Eastern States, as part of a strategy for conflict
resolution. These programmes aim to
achieve the following:-
(a)
Fulfilling the needs of the
Peoples and to
alleviate their problems.
(b)
Development of remote and
inaccessible areas where civil administration is barely
existent.
(c)
Assuaging
the feeling of
alienation and
moulding public opinion towards peace and development.
(d)
Fan the
desire for firmer
integration
with the nation.
These
civic actions include a wide range of activities across the entire spectrum of
development and demonstrate the ‘humane face’ of the soldier. It is ensured that the projects are planned
as per needs of the local population and are handed over to the state
administration on completion. In Jammu
and Kashmir and the North East, the projects are being implemented under
Operation SADBHAVANA. Similar activities
are also being undertaken as part of Operation SAMARITAN in the North East.
Scopes
(a) Infrastructure.
(b) Health
Care.
(c) Education
(Including Information Technology Assistance).
(d) Human
Resources Development.
(e) National
Integration Tours.
Detail of
utilisation of funds in the last two years in Jammu & Kashmir and North
Eastern States are attached.
Ser
No
|
Year
|
Allotment of funds in J&K
|
Allotment of funds in North East
|
(a)
|
2010-11
|
42.8256 cr
|
14.8666 cr
|
(b)
|
2011-12
|
36.9141 cr
|
14.4522 cr
|
Operation
Sadbhavana ( Op Sadbhavna ) was launched by
the army in 1998 in rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir where terrorists and
anti-national elements had wrought havoc by large scale destruction of
government property and public assets like schools, bridges, electricity supply
system etc causing severe hardships to
locals. An insidious attempt was also made to alienate the common man from the
national fabric. The need of the hour
was not only to wrest the initiative back from the terrorists but also to
reintegrate the affected populace with the national mainstream. In such a
scenario, Indian Army was looked upon as one of the Governments organization
which could provide succour to the people. Under Op Sadbhavna Army took up a
large number of welfare and development projects. Spending Rs450 Crs over the
last fourteen years, the Army has succeeded in improving the quality of life of
populace and win their hearts and minds. The
focus of Operation Sadbhavna has been on Quality Education, Women and Youth
Empowerment, Infrastructure Development and Health and Veterinary Care.
Educational / Motivational Tours outside J&K are undertaken to expose the
rich heritage and progress of India for the students, youth and opinion makers.
In addition, basic needs like ‘Water Supply Schemes’, Electrification’ and
‘Animal Husbandry’ in far flung areas is given priority while planning projects
based on a participative model involving the local people, their elected
representatives and civil adminstration.
Education Quality education is a prime requirement in
militancy affected areas of J&K. The
Army has established 53modern English medium Army Goodwill Schools under the
State Board and CBSE having all facilities. These schools remain heavily
subscribed and at places hostel facilities are also provided at few places and
in some schools. Local teachers and support staff get employment opportunities
and these schools are well received by the people. In an effort to reach
out to the poor children in the difficult areas assistance to approximately 2700 State Govt schools in terms of renovations,
construction of additional class rooms, toilets, playgrounds, sports fields
/facilities, provision of furniture, computers and educational software
packages, stationery, books and school uniforms for poor students and
assistance in setting up libraries and laboratories has been provided. A large
number of students hailing from Gujjar and Bakarwal communities and poorer
sections of the society are imparted free education in these schools on nominal
fees. Large numbers of children are provided scholarships to study within and
outside the State in public schools.
Computer Education. Computer
literacy centres have been established at a number of places including local
government schools to provide computer literacy to children, youth and ladies
who have no access to such facilities in the environment they hail from. These
centres provide computer education in basics concepts of operating systems, use
of MS Office software and Internet for knowledge and empowerment.
Infrastructure Development. Rampant destruction
of infrastructure by terrorists and anti-national elements in early Nineties
and inability of government agencies to undertake new projects or restoration
of damaged projects left a large void in this field. The Army stepped in to provide
assistance by undertaking a number of small and large infrastructure projects
under Op Sadbhavna to ameliorate the condition of the local population like
construction of foot bridges, tracks to improve connectivity in rural areas,
schools, orphanages, primary health centres, community development centres, and vocational training
centres, rural mini hydel electrification projects, installation of
transformers, erection of solar lights and distribution of solar lights,
provisioning of generators, construction of check dams, water supply schemes,
digging of hand pumps and bore wells for water etc. Other development projects like construction
of bus stop shelters, utility toilets, renovation of rural government schools, development of play fields and stadia and construction of model
villages destroyed in 2005 earthquake were undertaken.
Medical Care A major focus area of Op
Sadbhavna is health care medical needs
of the people in the rural areas who do not have excess to specialised medical
care facilities. To provide same Army organises a number of medical camps and
has established a number of health centres. These centres provide
essential medical aid to the locals. These centres have been equipped with
ultra sound, ECG machines, oxygen cylinders, nebulizers etc. In addition
villagers are regularly educated on family planning, child care, basic hygiene
and sanitation. Free medicines are
provided. Medical exhibitions
displaying posters on various fatal / dangerous diseases like AIDS, Cancer, TB
etc and screening of life style diseases are regularly organized. The Army also
provides artificial limbs to civilians injured in mine blast and terrorism
related incidents.
Para Medical
Care.
Motivated youth are identified in medical camps in rural areas for further
training in para medical care and first aid by the Army Field Hospitals. These men are provided civil recognized
certificates for spreading awareness of hygiene and sanitation amongst their
people, become self-employed and be readily available for immediate medical aid
in case of emergencies.
Veterinary Camps. Veterinary Camps are regularly organized by
the Army’s Remount and Veterinary Corps in conjunction with representatives of
Govt Veterinary Department to provide veterinary care and advice to people
rearing cattle in remote rural areas of the State. Volunteers are trained by
the Army in emergency first aid and treatment of animals.
Women and Youth Empowerment In keeping with the ethos of Army’s
commitment towards women empowerment and welfare activities, special emphasis
has been laid to create vocational training centres, where local women are
taught traditional skills / crafts, made aware about personal health, birth
control measures, and bringing up their children. Interaction organized with
bank and government officials about banking and loan procedures. Adult literacy
classes are organised for illiterate women to teach them basic reading and
writing. Skill development training like operating of computers, knitting,
tailoring, candle making, bag making, carpets / basket weaving, jam and sauce
production, horticulture, fashion designing etc are taught through local women
themselves who are employed as guides.
Youth
Empowerment. Unemployed youth are an ideal target group
for subversion and fomenting political unrest in the Sate by terrorists and
inimical elements. In order to help the
youth and thwart the nefarious designs of inimical elements, numerous Youth
Guidance Employment Nodes (YGENs) have been established across the State under
Op Sadbhavna to create awareness about various job opportunities, competitions
and eligibility criteria for jobs. Competent trainers and counsellors train the
youth and assist them to develop skills for seeking jobs and availing
employment opportunities on their own merit in government and private sector.
Skills training as mechanics, machine operators, poultry farming, animal
husbandry, compounders, tourist guides, mountaineers, sportsmen are conducted
to make them self-sufficient and
integrate in the local economy.
Educational Tours Educational
tours are organized under Op Sadbhavna for students and opinion makers from all
regions of the State to various parts of India with a view to providing them an
exposure to the rich cultural diversity and varied traditions of other parts of
the country and progress achieved under conditions of peace and stability. This
exposure enables them to become responsible “citizens of tomorrow” and gives them an insight to appreciate the vast
natural, historical and cultural heritage of our country. These tours enable
the young impressionable minds of youth to integrate with the national
mainstream and act as catalysts for channelizing their aspirations to achieve
higher goals in life
Sports Stadia and Tournaments. To boost and revive sports activities in
the State based on requests by the State Government, seven stadia have been
constructed at Bandipur, Ganderbal, Kulgam, Budgam and Shopian. These stadia
have a seating capacity from 5000 to 7000 and facilities for conducting number
of sports tournaments. To identify and nurture sports talent in the State a
number of sports activities and tournaments are organised like T-20 Cricket
Tournaments like Jammu Premier League and Kashmir Premier League.
Vocational Training Centres. Under Op
Sadbhavna assistance is provided to the local community members to enable them
to hone and develop their traditional as well as modern skills like jam and
sauce making, carpet, shawl weaving, beauty and hairdressing, stitching, family
welfare, child care, family planning, adult education, computers education etc.
This enables the women and community members to become self-reliant and
monetarily independent.
Conclusion Projects undertaken under
Op Sadbhavna have yielded tremendous results in improving the quality of life
of the populace and have provided major benefits
to the locals of the State by contributingto
the local economy and generating
employment oportunities. The
projects undertaken by the Army are aimed at
supplementing the efforts of the State Govt. to improve the quality of
life of people in the State and has helped in winning the hearts and minds of
the people.
VEERENDRA SINGH
APRO (Army)
DPR/Defence