Play all audios:
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday clarified that the state’s recently approved arms licence policy will not be enforced in districts bordering Arunachal Pradesh,
Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland. The move comes amid growing concern over the policy’s potential to escalate tensions in Assam’s sensitive border regions, which have historically been
hotspots for ethnic and territorial conflict. Advertisement In a social media post, Sarma said, “There were some queries regarding whether the arms license policy would also apply to
inter-state border areas such as those shared with Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland. Let us clarify: 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.” Advertisement Reiterating
the state’s commitment to peaceful resolution of border disputes, the chief minister said, “The Government of Assam firmly believes that inter-state boundary issues are not security
vulnerabilities, but matters best resolved through understanding and peaceful negotiation.” The clarification from Sarma comes after the state cabinet announced that the arms licence policy
would cover six districts — Barpeta, Dhubri, Goalpara, Morigaon, Nagaon, and South Salmara-Mankachar. These areas are not near inter-state borders but lie along the India-Bangladesh
frontier. Notably, Bengali-speaking Muslims form the majority in these districts, and at least two — Dhubri and South Salmara-Mankachar — share direct borders with Bangladesh, a region often
at the centre of political debates over cross-border migration. Sarma emphasized that the policy was not designed to “militarise” the population but to respond to long-standing demands from
local communities for arms licences. “We will be lenient in issuing licences to eligible individuals who are original inhabitants and belong to indigenous communities,” the CM said. The
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) warned that issuing arms licences could undermine public safety and weaken the state’s control over law and order. Former president of APCC, Bhupen
Borah accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of normalising weapons use and trying to follow the ‘American’ society model. Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev, who represents the Barak
Valley, was particularly scathing in her criticism. She said the decision reflects poorly on the government’s ability to protect its citizens. “This is a dangerous message that Assam Police
and the Border Security Force are not able enough of protecting border areas from illegal immigrants,” Dev said. “The government can issue a licence, but it cannot control how the gun is
used. Once armed, an individual could use the weapon on anyone.” Advertisement