Arms licence scheme not for inter-state border areas: CM Sarma

Guwahati, May 29: A day after the Assam government announced its plan to issue arms licences to indigenous citizens in “vulnerable” areas of the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday issued a public clarification, stating that the policy would not apply to inter-state border regions.

Responding to public queries, Sarma said the new policy is strictly limited to areas where national security concerns are pronounced, particularly along Assam’s international border with Bangladesh.

Addressing speculation about whether the policy would extend to inter-state borders, Sarma clarified that these regions are not considered vulnerable in the context of national security threats.

“Let us clarify: Assam has always maintained that inter-state border issues are matters that can and should be resolved through mutual understanding and trust. We do not view these regions as vulnerable in the context of national security threats. Accordingly, the arms licence policy will not be applicable to the inter-state border areas of Assam,” he wrote on social media.

While announcing the decision in a press briefing on Wednesday, the Chief Minister had stressed that the arms licence scheme is primarily targeted at districts where infiltration and weak government presence have historically left indigenous communities exposed.

Among the immediate areas being considered for arms licence issuance are Dhubri, South Salmara, Barpeta, Morigaon, and Nagaon.

“This is not limited to just international border districts. Even interior and remote places, where government presence is minimal and where threats of infiltration persist, would qualify,” he said, adding that strict eligibility and verification protocols would be followed.

Justifying the new scheme, Sarma linked the Cabinet’s decision to the state’s historical vulnerabilities, particularly during the Assam Agitation.

“Had we taken this step during the Assam Agitation, perhaps many people wouldn’t have sold their land and left their homes. The lack of empowerment back then led to land alienation in many parts,” he said.

The Chief Minister added that the move comes in response to repeated appeals from residents in sensitive zones.

“During my visits to these areas, villagers have expressed desperation - ‘Give us arms licences or we will be forced to abandon our land.’ The people themselves are demanding this now,” he had said.