Assam to give arms licence to indigenous citizens living in Muslim majority areas with Bangladesh roots

The Assam Cabinet has approved a new scheme to allow original inhabitants and indigenous citizens of India living in ‘vulnerable and remote’ areas near the Bangladesh border to get arms licences. These areas mostly have a large population of people with roots in Bangladesh, and the local indigenous communities often feel unsafe.

The cabinet said that this step is meant to help these people protect themselves from possible threats either from within their villages or from across the border, The Times of India reported.

According to the Assam government, this decision will help stop illegal threats and give the indigenous people more confidence and security.

"This is an important and a sensitive decision. In districts like Dhubri, Nagaon, Morigaon, Barpeta, South Salmara and Mankachar, Goalpara districts (where Bangladesh-origin Muslims are in majority), indigenous people are in a minority constantly face insecurity, especially in the wake of recent developments in Bangladesh. These indigenous population can become victims of attacks from Bangladesh or from within their own villages," Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.