The northeastern Indian state of Assam has announced that it will issue gun licenses to members of indigenous communities living in sensitive areas. The move, declared by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has triggered widespread concern among the state’s Muslim population, according to a report by AFP.
As part of the initiative, the chief minister launched a new website on Wednesday, allowing individuals from tribal communities—who feel their lives are under threat—to apply for firearm licenses.
The decision has raised eyebrows in India, where strict gun control laws are typically enforced. Assam, home to over 30 million people, has a long history of ethnic and religious tensions. Muslims make up roughly 35% of the state’s population, many of whom are Bengali-speaking.
Previously, Chief Minister Sarma claimed that Assamese-speaking communities were under threat from across the border in Bangladesh, and even within their own villages.
The announcement has drawn strong criticism from opposition leaders. Gaurav Gogoi, a Congress Party MP, warned on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), “This initiative will escalate gang violence and retaliatory crimes. It is not an act of good governance but a dangerous descent into lawlessness.”
Sarma is a senior leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Analysts view the move as part of a broader BJP campaign aimed at securing support from the Assamese majority. This strategy also includes aggressive eviction drives against those labeled as illegal immigrants or “doubtful citizens.”