GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the arms licence policy that he announced would not be applicable to the state’s areas bordering Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya.
Responding to queries, he clarified Assam has always maintained that inter-state border issues are matters that can and should be resolved through mutual understanding and trust.
“We do not view these regions as vulnerable in the context of national security threats. Accordingly, the arms licence policy will not be applicable to the inter-state border areas of Assam,” the chief minister posted on X.
After a meeting of the cabinet on Wednesday, he had told the media the state government would give arms licences to indigenous people living in “vulnerable and remote areas” to tackle unlawful threats from hostile quarters.
“We will encourage our original inhabitants and indigenous Indian citizens to apply and take an arms licence as per eligibility provided in the Indian Arms Act,” he had stated.
Calling the decision an important milestone, he stated that the indigenous people were in a minority in districts such as Dhubri, Nagaon, Morigaon, Barpeta, South Salmara and Goalpara and they always live in fear.
He stated that after the incidents in Bangladesh, they might face attacks from Bangladesh side or in their villages. People from a particular community are in a majority in the districts he mentioned.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress’ Rajya Sabha member Sushmita Dev criticised the Assam government on the issue.
“This entire issue takes the credibility of the Assam government to zero. You are telling citizens living in the border districts that Assam Police and BSF cannot protect them from illegal immigrants and from what has emerged across the border,” Dev said.
“Nobody knows the proper definition of indigenous people. It is the chief minister of Assam who wakes up in the morning and decides who is indigenous and who is not. Till today, NRC is in a hanging position,” the MP said.
She viewed the Assam government decision as a “knee-jerk reaction – an issue raked up as the elections are round the corner.”
She said it sent a very bad message to the nation that the Assam government is telling its citizens they are not safe under double engine governance.