‘We need jobs, not guns’: Nagaon forum protests Assam govt’s arms licence policy

A citizens' forum in Assam's Nagaon district on Tuesday opposed the government's decision to issue arms licences to indigenous people for protection.

The Nagaon Nagarik Sabha (NNS) held a protest in the town on Monday evening, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the decision.

The Assam Cabinet had, on May 28, announced that arms licences would be issued to indigenous residents living in "vulnerable and remote" areas to instil a sense of security among them.

"We don't need a communal pistol. We need irrigation to save our dry agricultural fields, we need jobs, we need land rights — like what the government is giving to big corporate houses," said NNS Secretary Birinchi Bora while speaking to reporters.

He alleged that the government is preparing to issue arms licences to a section of society merely to divert public attention from its administrative failures.

"If a situation like Manipur arises in Assam tomorrow, will the ministers and ruling party MLAs, surviving safely inside their bullet-proof cars, take responsibility for the common people and children?" Bora questioned.

He appealed to the people of Assam to reject what he described as the "communal agenda" of the ruling BJP, which he accused of trying to cover up its scams.

Following the Cabinet's decision, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addressed a press conference and identified some of the "vulnerable and remote" districts — including Dhubri, Morigaon, Barpeta, Nagaon, and South Salmara-Mankachar. He also named localities such as Rupahi, Dhing, and Jania, which are largely minority-dominated areas.

Sarma claimed that the indigenous population in these regions had been demanding arms licences since the time of the Assam Agitation (1979–85).

On July 24, the CM reiterated his support for the policy, asserting that indigenous people can only survive if they are armed. A day earlier, he had announced that a dedicated online portal for arms licence applications would go live in August.

"We are streamlining the existing process to issue arms licenses to the indigenous community in vulnerable areas," he added.