No Guns for those under 30

[mundaire]

In a move that is in complete contravention of the Arms Act (and thus illegal), the authorities in Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar districts (of Uttar Pradesh) are (from now on) going to restrict the issuance of Arms Licenses to only those residents who have completed 30 years of age.

No Guns for those under 30
Peeyush Khandelwal, Hindustan Times
Ghaziabad, March 19, 2010

The legal age to procure an arms licence is 21 years and above. But if you happen to be a resident of Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar districts, you will have to wait till you turn 30.
This move is to curb misuse of arms licence, as authorities said 90 per cent enquiries and applications for a licence are from youngsters who have no valid reasons to own arms.
Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate (DM) Deepak Aggarwal said: “During our survey, it was found that around 90 per cent youngsters want to get an arms licence without any valid reason. So we have made a district-level decision to curb the use of arms by youngsters in the age group of 21 to 30 years.”
Both the districts have around 31,000 arms licences, which include prohibited bores like single/double barrel guns, revolvers and pistols.
“The decision is welcome for the safety and security of other residents but the administration should also curb the inflow of illegal arms which are frequently used in crime,” said retired Naval Commodore Lokesh Batra, who is a Noida resident.
Ghaziabad City Magistrate Umesh Mishra said a person with 30 years or above is considered mature enough to handle guns.

[Vikram]

Both the districts have around 31,000 arms licences, which include prohibited bores like single/double barrel guns, revolvers and pistols.

Really?


Best-
Vikram

[nagarifle]

and there was me, thinking that it was the public which was the law breakers, once again we see the authority undermining the Act.

[hvj1]

Its really laughable at times, when those in power are 'powerless' to control the flow of illegal firearms, in fact abet in the trade by turning a blind eye, in lieu of lucre, then go overboard to compensate by coming down heavily on what they can 'control'.

[Bruno22]

Good profiling is the key to fair and just arms licensing. The candidate must be profiled in terms of conduct and associations that he keeps. Some (like most of us) just love weapons for the sake of weapons. Some of us use them for sport and recreation. Just a handful carry to really protect themselves and they will definitely justify the reasons. It would be very wrong to carry for the purpose of intimidation or threat. That's how good profiling will sort the 'bad boys' from the 'good guys'. In most cases arms are issued to people who should not have access to them. That's when the authorities were put in a tizzy when during election time people are ordered to deposit the arms. The small print says those who are known trouble makers. The big, sorry huge question is why were these 'trouble makers' issued the weapons license anyway!!

[goodboy_mentor]

Good profiling is the key to fair and just arms licensing. The candidate must be profiled in terms of conduct and associations that he keeps.

A great theoretical & utopian idea, full of practical problems that give rise to nothing but hardships to common man, misuse by government and corruption. Self defense is the first, foremost and sacred of all fundamental rights, if we are willing to give this up on basis of getting some false/temporary sense of security by giving babus the power to decide by "profiling" what further can be expected?
Let us not loose site of the fact that criminals by the very nature of their business are bound to arm themselves whether Arms Act or no Arms Act. Most important, it is of no solace to the victim of crime whether he/she is assaulted with help of legal or illegal weapon. Thus we should never encourage these so called "moralistic" approaches by government to deny fundamental rights on one excuse or other.
My opinion/understanding of real motive behind all these on the surface "moralistic" approaches:
a) A "strict" approach means more handle for extorting higher bribes/donations to babus/party fund etc.(do not forget the level of corruption being permeated from the very top) Also deny licenses to supporters of opposition political parties and provide licenses to supporters of ruling political party.
b) There is a huge backlog of Arms License applications pending, it can be pruned by giving some frivolous "reason" which would appeal to common people who usually believe the actions on the face value, even if they maybe illegal.
I have also emailed my above opinion to [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] & http://www.lawyersclubindia.com/forum/C ... ent/16085/

[Biren]

Hi,

Its really hilareous that Goverment does not trust same people whom it finds perfectly ok when it comes to nominate elected representatives except when it comes to granting of arm licence. The babus as well as news reporters should go through educative programs before they make such statements.

Cheers
Biren

[goodboy_mentor]

Its really hilarious that Government does not trust same people whom it finds perfectly OK when it comes to nominate elected representatives except when it comes to granting of arm license.

If government makes Right to Keep & Bear Arms, a Fundamental Right, then how will the bribes be taken for issuing arms licenses reach the concerned under the cover of "public safety"? It is not uncommon to hear rumors about the "practice" of various government departments been given unwritten "targets" for collection of money by various state governments. Are we not aware of the clandestine currency notes filed "suitcase culture" is now in the open as "garland culture"? Is anything left to imagination? Reference: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 699616.cms
I read the following somewhere on internet:

On an average 10 arms license forms are submitted daily in Allahabad. The percentage of new arms license issued since past 3 years is 1%. Our Chief Minister Behen Mayawati is against issuing of arms license and there is a rumor that she has instructed all the district magistrates to not issue an arms license(please try to understand the real motive). Only death case license is granted in Allahabad, that too after all the harassment & formalities(practically means every effort to extort bribes is made) done like a new license.

When a new arms license form is submitted in Allahabad, one has to pay Rs 1050, 500 for Allahabad Rifle Club (which dose not exists), 500 Rs for encouragement of Sports (God knows what is this), & Rs 50 for a sticker of some monogram on it. When all these formalities is completed then you have to stand on the arms clerk's window and keep on calling him "bare babu.. O bare babu" Then he will look at you with his mouth full of paan or gukta and will talk to you with his eyes, you will submit your file with bribe to him, without bribe your file will not be accepted. When the file is accepted then you have to run from pillar to post to get your police report done, there also you have to bribe on each and every stage. When all the reports have been in your favor and your file reaches at DM's office then you have to find some source through some bribe taking netas (politician) to get your license done.

District Magistrate doesn't even bother to talk to aspiring arms license holders. Our policy makers are a piece of shit, due to their policies we are suffering and corruption is on its peak.

Why we Indians are still treated like slaves ? Why we have the old arms act which was made by Britishers for Indians before independence ? Government should abolish the existing arms act and should give us right to keep and bear arms. We don't want to get treated as we used to get treated before independence.

[Amit357]

Hi Legal, could you please ask the H'nable District Magistrate what is the minimum age to qualify for an illicit Arm? Gora Saheb chala gaye Brown Saheb ko kursi de gaye.Guys belive it or not but from what i have heard from my seniors and I Quote "Honest people were better of in the Days of the RAJ then they are now"

[Katana]

Who are the juveniles now? The person who wants to legally own firearms or the babus? Most ridiculous idea I've heard. Seems more like shrinking away from responsibilties on the part of the babus!

[eljefe]

I wonder how a retire naval commodre is qualified to comment on an illegality .I lived in Noida and it was such a PIA to apply for a licence and have the cops land up home and do an inspection as to where I would store the arms, and routine calls -bade saab bole ki yeh details chahiye, and loads of BS, and the polite requests for a look at the house ownership documents and payslips...so that they could probably sic some kidnappers on me ? entirely plausible.Damn, I'm glad i got out of there.Jai ho I had a whole bunch of cops land up once at work,to ask me about a cop on night patrol who was shot by assailants and his gun snatched-contact burns and reeking of alcohol.The bug*3r had fallen off the motorbike drunk, AD in thigh.Some passerby took away his 9mm ,which was recovered from a village when he tried to sell it.I was asked emphatically about document the possible distance of GSW, which I did as 'CONTACT' didnt make too many friends

[goodboy_mentor]

The corrupt bureaucrats/police/politicians will try every trick in their book to keep their money generating machines spinning under one pretext or the other. The only practical solution is to abolish the Arms Act 1959 perpetuating the colonial Arms Act 1878 under a different name, and declare the natural right to keep and bear arms "guaranteed" by the constitution.