Opinion | Operation Goodwill: Indian Army’s Revolutionary

The Indian army’s strategic move, Sadhbawana’, has been the most influential in its history in combating insurgency and uprising in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Kashmir valley. The Indian army displayed a profound understanding of the socioeconomic and political dynamics of the region, which proved instrumental in achieving the desired results. Had the army employed brute force to curb the insurgency, the outcome would have been vastly different.

Sadhbawana has left an indelible mark on the history of Kashmir. One of the pivotal efforts to quell the Pakistan-baked insurgency in Kashmir was to focus on education. It established forty-six Army Goodwill Schools and assisted approximately 2000 schools in remote and border areas in J&K, including renovating and constructing additional classrooms, labs, libraries, toilets, playgrounds, furniture, computers, and books.
The schools have benefited more than one lakh students, with nearly 15000 students enrolled in various schools. Scholarships are awarded to 850 students from the weaker sections of society, even for studying outside J&K. In addition to providing education, more than 1000 people are employed for teaching and non-teaching duties.
The popularity of these schools is evident from the demand made by the local populace for such schools in their areas. As part of its latest initiative, 110 students from J&K and Ladakh will get the opportunity to study in Army-run colleges and schools every year. For the current academic year, 100 seats (50 each) have been reserved for students of classes eighth and ninth in Army schools at Beas in Punjab and Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand. From the next academic session, 100 seats will also be reserved in Army Public Schools in Dhaula Kuan (New Delhi), Noida (Uttar Pradesh), and Dagshai (Himachal Pradesh).
The Indian Army has extended its reach further to provide education to students from J&K by helping more than 565 students get admission to various institutions outside the state. These institutions include Pacific University, Udaipur, Global Research Institute, Kurukshetra, Noida International University, Greater Noida, and Hunar-e-Tarash, a rural ministry initiative. The Kashmir Super 30 project, based on the well-known Super 30 programme, was launched by the Indian Army in collaboration with the Centre for Social Responsibility and Leadership in the academic year 2013-2014. For the project, 23 academically brilliant yet needy students were selected from all corners of the region and trained to appear in competitive examinations for pursuing higher education in engineering. The results were remarkable, with 17 of the 23 students securing seats in prestigious engineering colleges. The programme’s success spurred the organisers to admit 36 students for the next academic year.
The Sadhbawana Mission of the Indian Army is an ambitious initiative to contribute to healthcare, education, sports, and women’s empowerment in the Jammu and Kashmir state, focusing on the Kashmir region. The region has been plagued by political turmoil for decades, and this multifaceted approach seeks to address various issues.
Despite women making up nearly half of the population in Jammu and Kashmir, only 22% are employed, compared to 69% of men from age 15 to 49. The Sadhbawana Mission aims to empower women in the border areas, where they are largely illiterate, and create history by guaranteeing economic development in these areas, thus raising the educational standards of the region. The Indian Army, in collaboration with an NGO, has set up a biodegradable sanitary pad manufacturing unit in Machhil’s Dudi Village in the Kupwara district of North Kashmir. The machines are easy to operate, and local women can learn to use them. The pads will be used by the village women of Dudi Macchil, the girls from the Government Higher Secondary School, Dudi, and Army Goodwill School, Raghavan. The initiative is playing a promising role in helping local women earn a livelihood. In the Baramulla district of North Kashmir, along the LOC, the Army has set up a tailoring and cutting centre in Bernate Village that offers training and provides livelihood to local girls.
In Gurez, a border village in North Kashmir, the Army has constructed two skill development centres at Habba Khatoon Peak and the Gurez Valley. The centres offer computer courses, weaving handlooms, sewing, stitching, designing, cutting, and tailoring. The initiative equips local women with skills to start businesses and earn a livelihood, thus playing a vital role in the region’s economy.
Under the Khawa-e-Tabeer Project, the Army has set up a skill development centre at Boniyar in Baramulla, offering training in fashion design and tailoring to girls from far-flung areas of Boniyar Tehsil in Uri of Baramulla District. In the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Army has launched a year-long computer application course for underprivileged students. The initiative aims to equip the students with computer skills, including the Windows operating system, Microsoft Office, and the Internet, in line with the central government’s Skill India and Digital India campaign.
On International Women’s Day, the Army celebrated the day by holding an event at the Girls Higher Secondary School Lunhare, where 500 young girls appeared. The Army is actively encouraging women to come forward and share the same pedestal with men by establishing and running skill development centres where women are trained to become frontline health workers and develop skills in cutting and tailoring so they can support themselves.
The Indian Army deserves homage for its commitment to the women of the disturbed land of Jammu and Kashmir. They are fighting terrorism and simultaneously addressing socioeconomic issues such as educational and economic backwardness in Kashmir Valley.