DEVANGAON VILLAGE: Saleem (name changed) is a young farmer from Devangoan, the last village in Vijayapura district on the banks of the river Bhima. Like many youngsters in the village, he too wants to have a revolver for various reasons. But the police have been refusing him permission despite several requests. Desperate, he is now scouring the black markets in Vijayapura and Kalaburagi for a county-made revolver. He also knows that if he can shell more money, he can be the proud owner of a foreign-made revolver too.
The strict rules for civilians on ownership of arms is leading to a rise in the sale of illegal weapons in the region, fear security experts. They say the police are not helping douse the enmity between the gangs.
“For many decades the villages have witnessed bloody murders and many young lives being snuffed out in the name of revenge. As revenge flows from generation to generation, one cannot predict when someone will attack. Hence most of the landlords and farmers seek police help to own legal arms.
“When their requests are turned down, the people buy illegal arms through their contacts in neighbouring Maharashtra. Proximity to cities like Pune and Solapur saw the rise of the gun culture in these districts since the 1990s,” said a retired police officer from Vijayapura.“We need to renew our arms licences by December. But our applications are still pending and the police are delaying the renewal though we have no criminal cases against us,” said a group of farmers from Devangaon.
T K Malagond, a local journalist, feels peace can prevail in the region if the younger generation is convinced about diverting their attention.“Revenge has always been the main reason for most of the killings and gang wars. Money was never the issue. Though gangs were involved in extortions and kidnapping, murders were committed over personal enmity. There is a need for a collective effort from the police and political class so that peace returns to the region,” he says.