Reqiem for RKBA

[Ambi]

It is time to regretfully accept that RKBA will remain a distant dream for indians.
India with other countries has adopted the UN Programme of Action " to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA) ".
In the instrument among others the signatories have agreed to improve national small arms regulations, and to ensure that weapons are properly and reliably marked, and give periodic report to UN on action taken (sickening).
In fact the situation is bound to get worse, with UN linking small arms trade with
economic and social development, human rights, disarmament, organized crime, terrorism, conflict prevention, peacekeeping, public health, environment, gender and children.
Even if the government wants, it can't liberalise the Gun Laws.

https://www.un.org/disarmament/convarms/salw/

[mundaire]

These initiatives were initiated by the UN to curb the proliferation of East European military small arms (chiefly AKs), which after the dissolution of the Soviet Union were increasingly finding their way to all kinds of conflict zones.

Our babus, as always missing the wood for the trees, have jumped right in, even though India had nothing to do with the above mentioned problem.

However, since we had no large stockpiles of AKs/ other military small arms, which were in danger of falling into the wrong hands, our babus were hard pressed to find small arms to confiscate and destroy. Hence, their full on attention on confiscating sporting arms owned by ordinary civilians and why suddenly even the humble single barrel shotguns owned by village folk have become the target of these confiscation drives.

All so that some babus may persue their personal ambitions of moving up in in the UN babudom. The real pity is, no one cares about what's going on.

Time to wake up and see what's really going on.

[timmy]

It is time to regretfully accept that RKBA will remain a distant dream for indians.

Respectfully, I disagree with this.

Who REALLY gives a hoot what the UN says or does? I could write a "War and Peace" size tome' about how ignored and corrupt that outfit is. Plenty of wind, but otherwise, not too much action.

All India has to do is say that "such and such" provision of this violates Indian sovereignty. Who is going to complain, and even more, who is going to do anything about it? And even if they do, what are they going to do? File a stiff note of protest? Many nations would love to have a piece of the large Indian market for a whole host of products -- nobody is going to risk the chance at entering into that. Put a penny in a round room and say it's hidden in the corner, and most of Europe would go crazy trying to find it.

Japan and Germany have an eye on Africa with this, and the proliferation of arms there (probably a thumb in the eye to Poland, who recently sold a bunch of AKs to Nigeria and now Nigeria is going to license making them at home -- Germany wants to be the final arbiter of all European things), will disturb their trade and acquisition of natural resources. Big deal! African nations can always buy AKs from China, who is everyone's buddy, if they can't get them elsewhere.

The UN can't tell India what to do. There is still room for RKBA if people can be convinced of it, regardless of the gas that comes from the UN.

[eljefe]

It is time to regretfully accept that RKBA will remain a distant dream for indians.

Respectfully, I disagree with this.

Who REALLY gives a hoot what the UN says or does? I could write a "War and Peace" size tome' about how ignored and corrupt that outfit is. Plenty of wind, but otherwise, not too much action.

All India has to do is say that "such and such" provision of this violates Indian sovereignty. Who is going to complain, and even more, who is going to do anything about it? And even if they do, what are they going to do? File a stiff note of protest? Many nations would love to have a piece of the large Indian market for a whole host of products -- nobody is going to risk the chance at entering into that. Put a penny in a round room and say it's hidden in the corner, and most of Europe would go crazy trying to find it.

Japan and Germany have an eye on Africa with this, and the proliferation of arms there (probably a thumb in the eye to Poland, who recently sold a bunch of AKs to Nigeria and now Nigeria is going to license making them at home -- Germany wants to be the final arbiter of all European things), will disturb their trade and acquisition of natural resources. Big deal! African nations can always buy AKs from China, who is everyone's buddy, if they can't get them elsewhere.

The UN can't tell India what to do. There is still room for RKBA if people can be convinced of it, regardless of the gas that comes from the UN.

Like they did to the Glasgow summit.
China and India have not committed to STOP coal production. Only reduce it

[Ambi]

It is time to regretfully accept that RKBA will remain a distant dream for indians.

The UN can't tell India what to do. There is still room for RKBA if people can be convinced of it, regardless of the gas that comes from the UN.

Like they did to the Glasgow summit.
China and India have not committed to STOP coal production. Only reduce it

True. India has strong strong views on Nuclear Non Proliferation, Climate Change and Arms Trade treaties,. dictated by Internal politics. RKBA pays no political dividends. So it is left to Babudom to deal with.

[UDAYANJADHAV]

Is there anything we can do about it as a group or individual?

[Ambi]

Is there anything we can do about it as a group or individual?

Owning a gun is individual , not societal need. Nine out of ten indians will be against RKBA. A PIL for gun rights will most likely be dismissed ( with fine!). There was a move to file a PIL sometime back. Would be instructive to know why it was dropped.
A second option would be for groups like NAGRI, shooting academies, arms sellers and private manufacturers to collaborate and popularize shooting for sports and for pleasure. But it is too far-fetched.
Perhaps one can get the wife to get a gun for self defence ( must be easier) and get an additional license for himself as her close relative!.
The best course is to accept the inevitable, and encourage the children to join NCC,or shooting clubs at young age and qualify for license as aspiring shooter in due course.

[rs123in]

Is there anything we can do about it as a group or individual?

Owning a gun is individual , not societal need. Nine out of ten indians will be against RKBA. A PIL for gun rights will most likely be dismissed ( with fine!). There was a move to file a PIL sometime back. Would be instructive to know why it was dropped.
A second option would be for groups like NAGRI, shooting academies, arms sellers and private manufacturers to collaborate and popularize shooting for sports and for pleasure. But it is too far-fetched.
Perhaps one can get the wife to get a gun for self defence ( must be easier) and get an additional license for himself as her close relative!.
The best course is to accept the inevitable, and encourage the children to join NCC,or shooting clubs at young age and qualify for license as aspiring shooter in due course.

Maybe, opinion of those 9 Indians can be influenced. As a small effort, I have made a educational video on topic, as to what Mahatma Gandhi thought about Gun Rights, which he even mentions in Part V, chapter 27 of his Autobiography, My Experiments with truth.

Hope You find it interesting and request give it maximum publicity, specially for those 9 under reference.

[ritamrudra]

It is time to regretfully accept that RKBA will remain a distant dream for indians.
India with other countries has adopted the UN Programme of Action " to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA) ".
In the instrument among others the signatories have agreed to improve national small arms regulations, and to ensure that weapons are properly and reliably marked, and give periodic report to UN on action taken (sickening).
In fact the situation is bound to get worse, with UN linking small arms trade with
economic and social development, human rights, disarmament, organized crime, terrorism, conflict prevention, peacekeeping, public health, environment, gender and children.
Even if the government wants, it can't liberalise the Gun Laws.

https://www.un.org/disarmament/convarms/salw/

I just differ with the others on this point.

The aforesaid United Nations program is, as it is clearly stated, " to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA) ". As a legal person, I opine that the main word there is "ILLICIT". IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LEGALLY MANUFACTURED OR OWNED GUNS.

It may be of interest to others that gun laws are the internal matter of a country and the UN does not have any right or authority to dictate terms to any country in the world, as long as the policy of a country threatens the peace, prosperity, stability or development of any other nation in any way, directly or indirectly.

Thanks and regards,
Ritam