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GUWAHATI, AUGUST 11: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday defended the decision of the state to issue arms licences to indigenous Hindus residing in severely minority-dominated areas, stating the move was required to protect them.
Speaking about areas such as South Salmara, Mankachar, and Bhaghbar, Sarma mentioned that certain villages have just 100 Sanatan Dharma practitioners residing among people numbering 20,000 to 30,000. “Under the legal process, if such families want, they can get an arms license. Sanatan Dharma protection is our responsibility,” he said.
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“Without a gun, how would one survive in South Salmara or Mankachar? If you visit them, you will find 20–25 thousand individuals around a Satra where only 100 people live. Won’t they require something for protection? We will provide it only after serious thinking, within the purview of the law,” he said.
Sarma underlined that the action would strictly be within legal boundaries and that protection of indigenous communities also meant protecting their rights to resources and land.
The Assam Cabinet, on 28 May, okayed granting arms licenses to indigenous inhabitants of “vulnerable and remote” regions in order to provide a sense of security. The areas identified are Dhubri, Morigaon, Barpeta, Nagaon, and South Salmara-Mankachar, and Rupahi, Dhing, and Jania — all minority-dominate districts.
The Chief Minister said that the policy has been a response to long-standing demands of the people going back to the 1979–85 Assam Agitation. He explained that licences would be issued only after serious examination through an online portal.
Opposition leaders have, however, condemned the decision as divisive and against communal harmony. They have appealed to the Centre to step in and put the implementation on hold.
The Nari Nagarik Manch, an Assam-based women’s organization, has also criticized the move, warning it may promote gun culture, inflate gender violence, and even lead to civil unrest. In a meeting on Saturday, the organization termed the move a setback to the years of peace-building in the state, which had witnessed massive arms surrenders after decades of militancy.
The association called on the government to make law enforcement stronger rather than “arming civilians” with what it said was a “lenient” policy of issuing licenses.
