Assam Government to provide arms licences to indigenous people who feel threatened

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Assam Cabinet took a major decision today to provide arms licences to indigenous people living in vulnerable, remote and border areas.

Briefing the media after the cabinet, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that there are many places in Assam where the indigenous people have become a minority, and they are living in fear of their lives and property. Some of the places are Dhubri, Nagaon, Morigaon, Dhing, Rupahi, Mankachar, Lahorighat, etc. The indigenous people live in pockets in these places, and they are suffering from insecurity, and their numbers in some places are very few. The situation is the same in some pockets in the border areas of the state. The situation in Bangladesh and the present Bangladeshi pushback policy of the state government have intensified such fears. The CM said, “Even indigenous people living in Guwahati’s Hatigaon, who are feeling threatened, may apply for an arms licence.”

The CM said that he had come across many people during his visits to different places who raised such a demand. This demand is not new and has been raised from time to time since the Assam Movement. If their demand had been fulfilled, many indigenous people may not have been forced to leave their homes and land. Although the police are there for their security, many people will feel more secure if they are provided with arms licences.

The Chief Minister clarified that the arms licences would be issued according to existing norms. The district authorities already know which places are more vulnerable, and they can identify areas where the indigenous people have become a minority and threat perception exists, he added.

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