Guwahati, Aug 9 : A women’s collective in Assam on Saturday urged the state government to reconsider its decision to allow licensed arms to “indigenous people in sensitive areas”, expressing apprehension that it might lead to a proliferation of weapons and even possible civil conflicts.
It said that the government should focus on strengthening law enforcement agencies and personnel to deal with any threats, rather than “weaponising” civilians through the “lenient” policy.
A meeting of ‘Nari Nagarik Manch’ (women citizens’ collective), an apolitical platform for uniting women’s voices, here discussed the issue of arms licensing to indigenous people and its repercussions and consequences for the society.
It maintained that the decision will propagate gun culture in the state, underlining that the state has been working on the surrender of arms after witnessing decades of militancy and the “lenient” arms licenses will reverse years of peace building.
It expressed apprehensions that the government’s decision could lead to a “civil war scenario, increase gender violence and cause arms proliferation”.
In a democratic set-up, there is no scope of militarisation and polarisation. The focus should be on empowering law-enforcement agencies, the participants said.
The meeting decided to submit a memorandum, demanding repeal of the government’s decision, to the president, prime minister, governor and chief minister, among others.
It further resolved to initiate filing of a public interest litigation and also build up a social media campaign against the decision.
The Assam cabinet had on May 28 decided that the government would give arms licenses to indigenous people living in “vulnerable and remote” areas for instilling a sense of security in them.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, informing of the decision, had identified Dhubri, Morigaon, Barpeta, Nagaon and South Salmara-Mankachar districts, and localities like Rupahi, Dhing and Jania are such areas, which are all minority-dominated places.
He had claimed that indigenous people in such areas have been demanding arms licence for safety purposes since the Assam Agitation period, a movement against illegal Bangladeshis between 1979-85.
The government is also setting up a digital portal where eligible people can apply for arms licenses, Sarma had said earlier this month.
The arms license will be granted to individuals after proper scrutiny and a multi-layered process, the CM posted on X.
Opposition leaders had criticised the government’s decision, maintaining that it is a move to “polarise” the public and will jeopardise the state’s hard-won peace. They also sought the Centre’s intervention to revoke the decision at the earliest.
