Post
by essdee1972 » Tue Jul 03, 2012 3:57 pm
Folks,
Import restrictions is not a function of socialism, anti-gun-ism, pacifism, corruption, etc. All those can and do play a part in the decision, but the final decision is taken with a much larger aim in mind. If you remember, till 1990s, India had a foreign currency crisis and the rupee was controlled. Decontrol (partial) happened with the payments crisis in 1991, when the current PM was FM. Many decisions were taken to restrict imports to protect foreign exchane reserves. For example, a simple Bic disposable lighter could not be bought openly, but you had to go to the Chor Bazaars, Fancy Markets, and other places where grey stuff was sold. Initially, in the late '90's and early '00s, a strong grey market thrived in smuggled mobile phones, which the government nipped by slashing duties.
Every country has a list of items which cannot be imported. For example, in the former Soviet Union, consumer goods were forbidden. There are so many tarriffs governing import of agricultural products into US. Australia does not overtly ban imports, but has a quarantine system so strict, any food product would expire before getting out of quarantine!!
One of the important determinants of a EXIM policy is the political message the government wants to send. E.g. the former Soviet Union didn't want to admit that the capitalist world was churning out better toasters and better lipstick than the USSR, hence all this stuff was banned.
Another important determinant, linked somewhat to the above, are lobby groups, vote banks, etc. This is the reason the US and France, for instance, have (or had) huge tarriffs on agricultural products. Try exporting wine - any wine - to France! And this, friends, is the reason why imported airguns (not firearms, that's a different discussion altogether) are not freely available!
1. In the days of dollar shortages, airguns were deemed to be non-essential, hence were restricted, either overtly or covertly.
2. When we had enough dollars in the national coffers, we - the airgunners - didn't lobby well enough to get our babies on a "preferred list".
3. Let's face it - we are too small a group to matter. India is not the USA - no NRA 800-pound gorilla here!!! Most gun owners are very happy with the status quo (fortunately there are enough of the other kind, hence we have IFG, etc.). We are neither a vote bank nor a lobbying group. So why, pray, should we claim special status?
As an aside, airgun_novice is not that way off comparing guns and cars. The fact that Indians are bad drivers (as well as bad pedestrians) is no reason to ban any kind of cars. Do we have statistics to prove whether Indian cars kill more or imported versions (of course, we hear about the accidents involving imported vehicles, because they usually involve celebrities or billionaires!)? And sir Humrahi, does the ownership of an imported car / bike have anything to do with the knowledge of rules? If so, then why are we discussing imported airguns, unless we own them? Yes, I can get an imported car, any make, any cost - but I have to pay 300% basic duty + additional duty + cess and so on! Similarly, I can get an airgun within the dealwood test limits, only thing is - I have to shell out the additonal moolah for the sarkar aka vampire to take, unless I have memberships, etc!
Cheers!
EssDee
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In a polity, each citizen is to possess his own arms, which are not supplied or owned by the state. — Aristotle
Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, Don't give up the fight. ― Bob Marley
