JAMMU, Sept 24 — Several militant outfits, especially Hizbul Mujahideen and Jash-e-Mohammad, have stepped up their drive for recruiting youths for arms training. The drive has been launched in several parts of Doda, Udhampur, Poonch, Rajouri districts (all in Jammu region) Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam, Baramula and Kupwara in the Kashmir valley.

State government functionaries said persuasion and threat have been the two weapons the militants have used for enhancing their number. Wherever persuasion and money fails the rebels enroll groups of youth forcibly. In several cases number of youths in Pulwama, Anantnag, Baramula and Budgam besides Udhampur and Doda districts have been forced to join arms training camps on gun point.

A group of youths was recently rescued by the troops when they were being forcibly taken to Rajouri for crossing over to Pakistan for arms training. Ali Mohammad and Ghulam Rasool from Pulwama along with Rashid Hussain, Hafiz and Javed Ahmed of Doda and Azad Hussain from Anantnag districts were still being looked after by the army because they are unwilling to go back to their villages for fear of reprisal from militants.

Ali Mohammad and Ghulam Rasool told newsmen at Corps Headquarters, Nagrota, that activists of Jash-e-Mohammad had abducted them and forced them to join the outfit. For several days they were shifted from one place to another. Finally they were instructed to board a bus for Rajouri from where they were to cross over to Pakistan.

They confirmed that arms training camps have been set up in higher reaches of Doda, Kupwara and Anantnag districts where the new recruits were being given training.

Recently more than 60 Muslim youths were forced to join militant ranks in Dechhan and Marwah belts of Doda district. Another group of over 30 boys from Mohar, Gool and Gulabgarh in Udhampur district were taken to an unidentified place for arms training.

The Corps Commander of 16th Corps, Lt Gen A.S. Khanna, admits that recruitment of local boys by militants outfits has increased.

Reports that foreign mercenaries are running militant outfits in Jammu and Kashmir has exposed Pakistan. Hence Islamabad wants to reduce the number of foreign mercenaries in three major militant outfits — Lashkar-e-Toiba, Harkatul Mujahideen and Jash-e-Mohammad, so that it could convey to the world that the rebels were from Jammu and Kashmir.

At present about 70 per cent of militants operating in Jammu and Kashmir are foreign mercenaries. This has been confirmed from identity of the militants killed in different parts of the state in recent operations launched by security forces. This percentage, Pakistan proposed, to reduce to 30 so that once again the reins of militancy were in the hands of local rebels.

Another factor that has prompted Pakistani agencies to step up recruitment of local boys in different militant outfits is that Islamabad has become suspicious of Hizbul Mujahideen after its Chief Commander operations, Abdul Majid Dar, announced willingness to hold negotiations with the government for resolving the Kashmir turmoil.

Hizbul Mujahideen outfit is the only major rebel group to have Kashmiri domination and hence Pakistan would try to increase representation of local youths in other militant outfits so that in case of any Hizb volte face other groups are ready for talks.

According to latest reports, the majority of Hizb activists are in favour of parleys.

In addition to this Pakistani agencies are luring border villagers to cross over to Pakistan. Initially they are promised better jobs and free board and lodging facilities. Once they cross over within three months they are forced to act as bonded labour.

Others are used as porters and guides assisting militants to cross into Jammu and Kashmir. Those found physically fit are enrolled in arms training camps.