India's Assam State to Allow 'Indigenous' People to Bear Arms, Raising Concerns

A decision by the Assam government to introduce a liberal arms policy for "indigenous" civilians to defend themselves against "unlawful threats" could worsen the north-eastern Indian state's long and bloody record of ethnic and religious violence, critics say.

- Debarshi Dasgupta

NEW DELHI -

That could have a far-reaching impact, including for India's "Act East" policy. Assam's stability is important to bring in wider development for India's north-east, a region central to the country's vision of developing closer ties with South-east Asia.

The Chief Minister of Assam and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Mr Himanta Biswa Sarma, announced on Aug 6 on X that his government is creating a dedicated portal so that "original" inhabitants and "indigenous" people of the state "who perceive a threat to their lives and reside in sensitive areas" can apply for arms licences.

The move, which comes ahead of state elections scheduled from March to April 2026, is ostensibly aimed at helping locals deal with alleged threats that emanate from the illegal migration of Bengali Muslims from adjacent Bangladesh.

Mr Sarma has blamed Bengali Muslims for committing crimes, including sexual violence against women, to force "indigenous" people to move out of their land. There is no credible evidence to support this claim.

In Hindu-majority Assam, which is also dominated by Assamese speakers, Indian Bengali Muslims have repeatedly been vilified as "illegal immigrants" occupying the land of the "indigenous" peoples.

Assam shares a nearly 270km porous border with Muslim-majority Bangladesh, large tracts of which are riverine. Since India's independence in 1947, the state has witnessed large-scale migration from Bangladesh, with Hindus and Muslims moving to Assam either in search of livelihoods or fleeing religious persecution.