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SecularMotion

(7,981 posts)
Tue May 3, 2016, 08:14 AM May 2016

How to Get a Gun in India

One recent morning, Dibendyu Dutta rose at 6 a.m. to catch a three-hour train back to the city of his childhood, Kharagpur. He made for his family house, retrieved a case and brought it to the local police station. He handed over the case the police. Ten minutes, some questions and a few signatures later, it was time to get back on the train to make it home in time for dinner.

The case? It contained a gun, and Dutta, like the estimated 6 million registered gun owners in India, was performing a civic duty that would make many Americans cringe: He was forfeiting his weapon during election season. Bureaucracy! Government arms seizures! Are you weeping yet, NRA?

Dutta’s journey provides some insight into India’s high-scrutiny and rather strange gun laws. Yes, Americans might find the questions about liberty, security and paternalism familiar. But in India, the paternalism still rings of colonial indignity — and the bureaucracy seems very strange indeed. There are some 34 million illegal firearms dotting the national landscape, according to Gun Policy, feeding conflict zones in the northeast and here in West Bengal, and a thriving illegal trade along the Bangladesh border. In other words, the vast majority of India’s gun owners hold them illegally, sans license, registration or baroque, election-season forfeitures.

Rakshit Sharma, secretary general of the National Association for Gun Rights India (NAGRI), tells a common story of bribery associated with getting a gun. The airline captain, who’s enjoyed shooting in Florida among other places, says it took three years to get licenses for his small revolver, handgun and other inherited family arms. “If my family knew the right people, I would have had it within a week.” Sharma says he doesn’t want laws relaxed, “just a bit more logical.” The system is, he says, “archaic, draconian, colonial.”

http://www.ozy.com/pov/how-to-get-a-gun-in-india/68778
9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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appal_jack

(3,813 posts)
1. "archaic, draconian, colonial" indeed.
Tue May 3, 2016, 08:19 AM
May 2016

Gun control laws promoting corruption and unnecessary bureaucracy, while criminals traffic in illegal guns with impunity? Who'd-a-thunk?

Good thing we live in the land of "shall not be infringed."

-app

 

DonP

(6,185 posts)
2. Gun Control = "in India, the paternalism still rings of colonial indignity"
Tue May 3, 2016, 09:54 AM
May 2016

Do you approve of this gun control approach?

With no comment, and as an avid gun control supporter, you must think this is a great idea for keeping the uppity masses in their place to share it with this group as an object lesson?

sarisataka

(21,000 posts)
4. So gun control in India
Tue May 3, 2016, 11:08 AM
May 2016

Reeks of colonialism, authoritarianism, paternalism, classism and corruption.

It favors the privileged class and bribery is the way to get things accomplished. They have no background checks or psychological exams but will only issue permits if you come from a "good" family. The non-compliance rate is about 85%, and there is widespread smuggling along the land borders.

In addition people are fearful of the police who enforce draconian laws and you don't ask questions "if you know what's good for you".

You put this forth as a shining example of a country with gun control. Are you sure you are pro-gun control and not an agent provocateur?

ileus

(15,396 posts)
8. Those are all good, progressive and perfectly acceptable.
Wed May 4, 2016, 05:51 AM
May 2016

All pretty classic traits of the types who would rather add you to the stats than allow personal protection.

discntnt_irny_srcsm

(18,577 posts)
6. As much as I like to write just to "read" myself thinking...
Wed May 4, 2016, 05:35 AM
May 2016

...I realize that someone else (Gandhi) commented on India's gun laws a while back.

Have a nice day.

beergood

(470 posts)
9. 25 cartridges a year
Wed May 4, 2016, 04:43 PM
May 2016

"Owners are also restricted in how many cartridges they can buy per year: around 25, which, Sharma says, isn’t enough to practice with, meaning few could actually learn to use the weapon."


thats insane, whats the point in owning a firearm if its illegal to own any ammo. its just an over-sized paperweight.

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