India’s Assam allows firearms licenses for residents along Bangladesh border
PARBATTA NEWS DESK
Residents of remote areas along the Bangladesh border will now be able to apply online for firearms licences, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced, Anandabazar Patrika reports.
The move, first approved by the Assam cabinet in May, is aimed at what the government calls “sons of the soil” — indigenous residents living in “unprotected and sensitive” regions, particularly in minority-dominated areas.
“If I live near the India-Bangladesh border, or in an unprotected and sensitive area where my community makes up only 5 percent and another community 90–95 percent, then due to cultural, economic and other reasons, tensions may arise between the two communities,” Mr Sarma was quoted as saying.
He added that small incidents could escalate quickly. “The majority community may attack the minority community, houses may be burned, many things can happen,” he warned. “A police station usually has only 6–12 constables. If unrest breaks out, it can take 2–3 hours for reinforcements to arrive from the district headquarters. In the meantime, much can happen. Until the police arrive, self-defence is necessary. If attackers know their targets have firearms, they will think twice before launching an attack.”
According to Anandabazar Patrika, only indigenous residents are eligible. Applicants must be at least 21 years old, live in designated “unprotected, sensitive and remote” areas, have no criminal record, and be physically and mentally fit. They must also hold a firearms training certificate under India’s 2016 Arms Act.
The government has not specified which areas will be formally recognised as “unprotected and sensitive”. Applicants are required to provide verifiable proof of identity.
In May, Mr Sarma had said indigenous and tribal communities in Assam were facing “attacks and threats from Bangladeshis” even on their own land. The licensing scheme, he argued, would help locals defend themselves.
The policy will apply in several districts including Dhubri, Nagaon, Morigaon, Barpeta, South Salmara and Goalpara, according to the report.
