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Assam to give arms licence to indigenous people in ‘vulnerable’ areas: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said indigenous people in remote and vulnerable districts and those along the border with Bangladesh were feeling insecure
GUWAHATI: The Assam cabinet on Wednesday approved a special scheme to provide arms licences to indigenous people living in “vulnerable and remote areas” and those along the border with Bangladesh to help them protect themselves.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the special scheme for the grant of arms licences to original inhabitants and Indian indigenous citizens in vulnerable and remote areas of Assam would apply to districts such as Dhubri, Nagaon, Morigaon, Barpeta, South Salmara and Goalpara.
He clarified that the decision to provide arms licences to the eligible individuals would rest with the district authorities.
“It’s a very important and sensitive decision. Indigenous people in these districts live in a sense of insecurity, especially after the developments in Bangladesh (where Hindus were targeted). They face the threat of attacks from the Bangladesh side and even in their own villages. In this backdrop, the cabinet decided that indigenous people in such vulnerable areas would be given arms licence,” the chief minister said.
“We see instances where they live in fear and since there is an ongoing process to detect and deport illegal Bangladeshis, indigenous people who are in a minority in these vulnerable areas, we took this decision. There was a long-standing demand by indigenous people in these areas. The government won’t help them buy arms, but will give them the licence to procure them,” said Sarma.
Sarma said the demand for arms licences had been around since the Assam agitation (1979-85) against illegal immigrants, but previous governments had not taken such a step to address the concerns of indigenous inhabitants of the state.
