SRINAGAR, Ex-servicemen to be re-deployed as security guards in Kashmir, says Indian govt.
Around 4,000 veterans have been “identified” as non-combatant volunteers.
India: Military veterans will be redeployed as security guards in Indian Kashmir, New Delhi said on Saturday.

The government of Jammu and Kashmir approved a “proposal for mobilising ex-servicemen to safeguard vital infrastructure across the union territory,” according to a government press release.

Around 4,000 veterans have been “identified” as non-combatant volunteers, out of which 435 have licensed personal weapons, it said.

This will help by “significantly enhancing the capacity to respond effectively to localised security situations,” the government added.

Veterans will work in “static guard” roles, focusing on “presence-based deterrence and local coordination.”

India already has an estimated half a million soldiers permanently deployed in its part of Kashmir.

A similar veteran volunteer program took place with 2,500 veterans during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the government.