Indian leopard attack shows anti-human nature of ‘gun control’

Gun Rights Examiner ^ | 10 January, 2012 | David Codrea

[marktwain]

“A leopard mauled at least three people in the northeastern Indian city of Guwahati on Saturday after the ferocious feline ran into a house and attacked the residents,” The New York Daily News reports.

The BBC tells us one of those persons has died.

We learn that “wildlife personnel” with a tranquilizer gun took care of the big cat—after the attacks. We also learn that this is not the first time in recent years such attacks have occurred, and that they are on the increase.

So why did Indian citizens have to wait for the authorities to show up after the maulings had occurred? Why must they instead engage in hand-to-hand combat and resort to “sticks and iron rods” or helpless, abject terror against savage, predatory beasts—including those who walk on two legs?

Oh, that one’s easy: India has strict “gun control.” The British invaders disarmed a subject people to maintain control—kind of like what their heirs are now doing to their domestic subjects.

“Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest,” Mahatma Gandhi wrote.

Fortunately, modern voices are recognizing the intolerable debasement a monopoly of violence always produces, and they’re speaking out. One such belongs to Abhijeet Singh, who provides a summary history of Indian gun control, along with an index of its laws.

There is a National Rifle Association of India, but its website appears exclusively occupied with “sporting purposes.” While popularizing and normalizing everyday people using firearms is a worthy pursuit, a much more vital purpose behind the individual right to keep and bear arms must be recognized and not requested, but demanded.

[marktwain]

India is struggling to reach the New York City level of freedom in self defense.

There is movement, however, and it appears to be in the right direction.

[Mustang Driver]

On the other had, the Zero Population Growth people and PETA are happy...

[Mustang Driver]

On the other had, the Zero Population Growth people and PETA are happy...

[Mr Ramsbotham]

A panther is like a leopard,
Except it hasn't been peppered.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

India is also problematic for gun right because it has otherwise normal citizens who are intensely bigoted against other citizens, and they and their enemies have often engaged in religious and political riots and mass murder.

Yet this *isn’t* to say that gun control is good there, because it isn’t. Just that the introduction of guns must be done in such a way that there are no great imbalances, and thus a prerogative to slaughter all of your enemies before they too are armed and can defend themselves.

This can be very tricky indeed. India has over 2,000 ethnic groups, every major religion in the world, four major families of language and two utterly unique languages, a caste system, many political parties and revolutionary terrorist organizations.

And seemingly, all of them like to brawl.

Compared with them, America is a homogeneous nation full of terribly polite and agreeable people, most of whom lead generally happy lives and have no impulse for aggression.

So gun freedom in India has to be done in a very thoughtful manner.

[James C. Bennett]

It is a little more complex in India. There are areas near the international borders where the State hands out guns.

All citizens entitled to possess weapons: HC [INDIA]

http://www.hindu.com/2011/06/29/stories/2011062961770800.htm

MADURAI: Revenue authorities or police officials cannot refuse to issue arms licences by citing the likelihood of law and order problems as all citizens of the country are entitled to possess weapons, under licence, for self-defence unless their antecedents or propensities do not entitle them for the privilege, the Madras High Court has ruled.

Justice D. Hariparanthaman passed the ruling while allowing a writ petition filed by an agriculturist who was denied licence by the Commissioner of Revenue Administration as well as the Theni District Revenue Officer in 2005 and 2004 respectively to possess a double barrel (DBBL) gun.

The judge said that arms licence could be denied only if there was a threat to public peace or public safety which were of much greater magnitude compared to a law and order problem.

He pointed out that the Arms Act, 1959 was enacted to lessen the rigours of the colonial Arms Act, 1878 which made it difficult for law abiding citizens to possess firearms for self-defence whereas terrorists, dacoits and other anti-social or anti-national elements were using not only civilian weapons but also bombs, hand-grenades, Bren-guns, sten-guns, rifles and revolvers of military type.

The 1959 Act was also intended to recognise the right of the State to requisition the services of every citizen during national emergencies.

“The licensees and permit holders of fire arms, Shikaris (hunters), target shooters and rifle-men in general (in appropriate age groups) will be of great service to the country in emergencies, if the Government can properly mobilise and utilise them,” the Act read.

In so far as the present case was concerned, the petitioner S. Rajkapur said that he was residing in a farm house in a forest area in Theni district. He was doing coconut business and also owned a cardamom estate at Sathurangaparai village in Udumbansolai taluk in Kerala.

He wanted to possess a gun for self protection while carrying huge amount of cash and also to protect his crops from wild animals.

Stating that his grandfather and father possessed gun licences during their lifetime, the petitioner said that he now wanted to purchase a DBBL gun from his uncle.

The jurisdictional Tahsildar recommended issuance of gun licence to the petitioner, yet the Commissioner and the DRO rejected his plea on the basis of a police report apprehending law and order problem.

Pointing out that Section 13 (3)(a)(i) of the Arms Act specifically permits grant of licence to protect crops from wild animals, Mr. Justice Hariparanthaman said: “If the family has been in possession of weapon for crop protection, the same should not be denied to the petitioner particularly when there is no criminal case against him.”

Related Info:

 

 

India’s sharp-shooter granny fighting male domination

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2743700/posts

“At first glance there is nothing remarkable about Parkaso Tomar, a hardy 70-something woman who has spent most of her life working in the fields and tending to cattle in a small north Indian village.

Until of course she picks up a gun and fires a volley of shots, all bang on target.

She is the “shooter granny” of Johri village in Uttar Pradesh, a northern province infamous for honour killings and female foeticide. Not the best of places for girls to grow up.

This is where Parkaso Tomar has become an unlikely role model, inspiring a new generation of female shooters ever since she picked up a gun for the first time.

And that was well after she had turned 60.

Since then she has silenced her opponents, both on the shooting range and in the local community, with unwavering commitment and zeal. On the way, she inspired her daughter Seema to become the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Rifle and Pistol World Cup.

It was destiny’s calling that took Parkaso and her much older sister-in-law to the shooting range in Johri, a pretty basic facility in the middle of a sprawling courtyard where poor village children practise for hours in the searing heat.

“I got my granddaughter admitted here, but she said she was afraid of coming alone so I started accompanying her. Then one day I picked up a gun and fired a shot, and it was quite good. So the coach said I should start practising and that I had the potential to be good.”

And then it became a passion.

“In the evenings I would come to the range and fire some shots,” she recalls...”

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk

---

 

Sharp rise in gun licences issued in city [MUMBAI]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2155058/posts

MUMBAI: The number of gun licences granted by the Mumbai police more than doubled from 2006 to 2007. In 2006, the police issued 172 licences, and in the following year, the number shot up to 416. The jump was despite the fact that there was no significant increase in the number of applications for arms licences.

The city police rejected almost two-thirds of the applications for arms licences in the five years from 2003 to 2007. During this period, 3,712 applications were received, but only 1,393 were approved. Most were rejected because they did not cite adequate reasons to justify the need for a weapon.

Of the 1,393 licences granted, 546 were for pistols and 847 for rifles, said businessman and activist Chetan Kothari, who got the information through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Renewal of a licence for a year costs Rs 50 for a pistol and Rs 20 for a rifle.

Kothari in his RTI application had requested that the police department furnish details of how many politicians, filmstars, businessmen and builders had got arms licences in the last one year. The department mentioned that 20 builders and 12 businessmen were granted licences last year. However in its break-up on the total number of licences granted in 2007, the police refused to specify how many filmstars and politicians held the right to own a pistol or a rifle.

In its reply to Kothari’s RTI application, the Mumbai police also said they had revoked 24 arms licences in 2007, of which 18 were cancelled because the department had received criminal complaints against the licencee. Kothari has now sought the names of these people under the RTI.

The rejection of an arms licence application can be legally challenged. The court may order the police to issue the licence if it finds the reason for rejecting the plea arbitrary. There have been high court judgements which held that minor offences pending against an arms licence applicant were not enough to reject his or her plea, if there was no other reason.

 

---

 

Village Defence Committee of Kashmiri Women
By - Kavita Suri

Kavita Suri is a journalist having 10 years' professional experience in journalism (both print and electronic). Presently working for The Statesman, one of the oldest English dailies of India as its Senior Staff Correspondent based in Jammu and Kashmir, she has worked with various newspapers such as The Kashmir Times, The Tribune etc. She covers the entire state, travels to the Line of Control, the international border and other conflict areas in all the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh of the troubled State. Kavita was also recently invited to United States for three weeks by the US State Department on "US International Visitors Exchange Program". She has made many documentaries and films for Doordarshan's satellite Kashmir channel and the Jammu and Srinagar DD-Ks. As women have suffered badly in the strife-torn state due to the ongoing conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, gender issues are very close to her heart. Her 'Echoes from the Mountains' keep our readers updated about all these issues of the mountainous state and its surrounding areas.

Years of terrorism have spoiled the raw beauty of the valley of Kashmir. But the women in the valley have now decided to set things right in their own way. SAWF member, Kavita Suri brings you the tale of these courageous women through her 'Echoes From the Mountains'.

 

For the past one and a half decade of terrorism, the Kashmiri women faced the burnt and remained its worst victim. But not any longer. Incredible but it is true. The women of border district of Poonch-Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir have picked up guns against terrorists and thus are protecting themselves from the militants and saving their honour and dignity.

This all women brigade - the first women Village Defence Committee (VDC) has been set up in the twin villages of Marah and Kulali bordering district Poonch. The scene is very different there as compared to other villages. One would find women with guns standing on the rooftops guarding their homes. The VDC members including women get together from cluster of houses and lay ambushes on routes of ingress to that cluster in order to save any civilian killings.

"Having suffered much on the hands of terrorists, a turning point came when in village Katha in this border district on 26 June last year, militants killed twelve women and children. Many incidents of sexual assaults and torture of many women and young girls were also reported. Thus, the women folk of the area who had been "mute sufferers of terrorism" made up their mind to fight against the terrorists. They showed their willingness to get weapons and training from the security forces to protect themselves and their children from militants' excesses," informed Major General G.D.Bakshi who heads the counter-insurgency Romeo Force in Rajouri.

This all-women VDC organizes security on its own for any civil gathering or a national or political event, keeps track of any strange and unauthorized person entering the village and keeps a check on his activities. Besides women, the children and old persons too, have shown willingness to use weapons against militants due to security at home.

The excesses of foreign terrorists on civilians and sexual assault on local women have forced the local population including women and children to pick up gun against them. Terrorists are forcing many locals to work as porters without any payment, committing rape on women and minor girls, utilizing the money, assets and resources of locals for their own use.

"Thus, a strong need was being felt to provide these innocent civilians with some type of self-defence which lead to generation of the idea of a fourth force multiplier," he added.

Village Defence Committee of Marah is just not simple organization but is a new force to reckon with. The VDC Marah now has become a role model for others. It has emerged as local force including trained women and children.

The Village Defence Committees were set up in Jammu and Kashmir in mid-nineties following a number of massacres of the innocent villagers in far flung villages of the troubled region. As the police or army pickets were far off from the civilian areas in these inaccessible villages resulting which the terrorists made these people as their soft targets, the concept of VDCs emerged wherein the civilians were imparted training for self defence and thus repulse terrorist-attack. The state police provided them weapons.

Till now, the VDC members were men in arms doing their routine work and had some defense power against terrorists. During day most of them remain outside their homes to earn livelihood, leaving female and children besides the old persons. But now, women have also joined the men in these VDC. To repulse any attack, the VDC women wing has been constituted.

"The VDC is organized in an infantry company pattern and to give them a sense of pride and belongingness the platoons and sections have been named after the local mohallas and this has worked wonders," said an army officer posted in the area adding presently there are four platoons and twelve sections and one section of women wing.

The training of VDC members is organized at a regular basis at security force company posts and the members are given weapon training which include firing, basic handling and cleaning of weapon, tactical training including minor tactics, battle craft and field craft drills to including stalking, crawling, fire and move.

http://www.sawf.org/newedit/edit02212005/kashmir.asp

 

Arms for Manipur villagers to keep insurgents at bay

May 4th, 2008 - 6:10 pm

Imphal, May 4 (IANS) Authorities in Manipur, one of northeast India’s worst insurgency-hit states, have decided to arm villagers with weapons to enable them protect themselves from militants and control rebel activities, officials said Sunday. “The state cabinet has decided to train up to 500 villagers in the districts of Thoubal and Imphal West and provide them weapons after local residents rose in revolt against excesses committed by armed militants who have been killing civilians and extorting cash,” said Manipur Irrigation and Flood Control Minister N. Biren.

A militant group March 24 killed three people - two teenaged girls and a boy - at Heirok village, and later killed another man at Chajing. Following these incidents, villagers rose in revolt and pressed the government to give them weapons.

To start with, 300 men from Heirok and 200 from Chajing villages would be recruited, given a month’s training on handling weapons and will be provided with .303 rifles. They will also be paid a monthly consolidated salary of Rs.3,000 each.

The new force, whose personnel shall be called ’special police officers’, would be in place from the middle of June.

Manipur, bordering Myanmar, has over two dozen active rebel groups pushing demands ranging from secession from India to maximum autonomy.

No insurgent group from Manipur is engaged in peace talks with the Indian government so far, although around six rag-tag Kuki ethnic rebel outfits are on a ceasefire with the authorities.

The decision to provide weapons to civilians has drawn criticism from civil society and rights groups.

“The move will encourage bloodshed in Manipur among people of the same ethnic origin,” said a statement by the United Committee Manipur (UCM), a civil society combine.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/arms-for-manipur-villagers-to-keep-insurgents-at-bay_10044996.html

 

 

An Indian Army personnel, Surbjeet Singh, instructs the village defence committee, VDC member Renu Bala during a training camp organized by the  Indian Army to protect themselves and their homes from militants at Sarya village near Indo-Pak line of control about 140 KM from the Northern Indian city of Jammu, winter capital of Kashmir on 16 March, 2008. 27 women from Sarya village have been trained to use AK-47s and other heavy-duty weapons. Training of VDC members at regular intervals would imbibe a sense of self-confidence and boost their confidence in dealing with an adverse situation, an Indian Army officer said. 
 

 

 

 

Sharp rise in gun licences issued in city [MUMBAI]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2155058/posts

MUMBAI: The number of gun licences granted by the Mumbai police more than doubled from 2006 to 2007. In 2006, the police issued 172 licences, and in the following year, the number shot up to 416. The jump was despite the fact that there was no significant increase in the number of applications for arms licences.

The city police rejected almost two-thirds of the applications for arms licences in the five years from 2003 to 2007. During this period, 3,712 applications were received, but only 1,393 were approved. Most were rejected because they did not cite adequate reasons to justify the need for a weapon.

Of the 1,393 licences granted, 546 were for pistols and 847 for rifles, said businessman and activist Chetan Kothari, who got the information through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Renewal of a licence for a year costs Rs 50 for a pistol and Rs 20 for a rifle.

Kothari in his RTI application had requested that the police department furnish details of how many politicians, filmstars, businessmen and builders had got arms licences in the last one year. The department mentioned that 20 builders and 12 businessmen were granted licences last year. However in its break-up on the total number of licences granted in 2007, the police refused to specify how many filmstars and politicians held the right to own a pistol or a rifle.

In its reply to Kothari’s RTI application, the Mumbai police also said they had revoked 24 arms licences in 2007, of which 18 were cancelled because the department had received criminal complaints against the licencee. Kothari has now sought the names of these people under the RTI.

The rejection of an arms licence application can be legally challenged. The court may order the police to issue the licence if it finds the reason for rejecting the plea arbitrary. There have been high court judgements which held that minor offences pending against an arms licence applicant were not enough to reject his or her plea, if there was no other reason.

 

---

 

Village Defence Committee of Kashmiri Women
By - Kavita Suri

Kavita Suri is a journalist having 10 years' professional experience in journalism (both print and electronic). Presently working for The Statesman, one of the oldest English dailies of India as its Senior Staff Correspondent based in Jammu and Kashmir, she has worked with various newspapers such as The Kashmir Times, The Tribune etc. She covers the entire state, travels to the Line of Control, the international border and other conflict areas in all the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh of the troubled State. Kavita was also recently invited to United States for three weeks by the US State Department on "US International Visitors Exchange Program". She has made many documentaries and films for Doordarshan's satellite Kashmir channel and the Jammu and Srinagar DD-Ks. As women have suffered badly in the strife-torn state due to the ongoing conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, gender issues are very close to her heart. Her 'Echoes from the Mountains' keep our readers updated about all these issues of the mountainous state and its surrounding areas.

Years of terrorism have spoiled the raw beauty of the valley of Kashmir. But the women in the valley have now decided to set things right in their own way. SAWF member, Kavita Suri brings you the tale of these courageous women through her 'Echoes From the Mountains'.

 

For the past one and a half decade of terrorism, the Kashmiri women faced the burnt and remained its worst victim. But not any longer. Incredible but it is true. The women of border district of Poonch-Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir have picked up guns against terrorists and thus are protecting themselves from the militants and saving their honour and dignity.

This all women brigade - the first women Village Defence Committee (VDC) has been set up in the twin villages of Marah and Kulali bordering district Poonch. The scene is very different there as compared to other villages. One would find women with guns standing on the rooftops guarding their homes. The VDC members including women get together from cluster of houses and lay ambushes on routes of ingress to that cluster in order to save any civilian killings.

"Having suffered much on the hands of terrorists, a turning point came when in village Katha in this border district on 26 June last year, militants killed twelve women and children. Many incidents of sexual assaults and torture of many women and young girls were also reported. Thus, the women folk of the area who had been "mute sufferers of terrorism" made up their mind to fight against the terrorists. They showed their willingness to get weapons and training from the security forces to protect themselves and their children from militants' excesses," informed Major General G.D.Bakshi who heads the counter-insurgency Romeo Force in Rajouri.

This all-women VDC organizes security on its own for any civil gathering or a national or political event, keeps track of any strange and unauthorized person entering the village and keeps a check on his activities. Besides women, the children and old persons too, have shown willingness to use weapons against militants due to security at home.

The excesses of foreign terrorists on civilians and sexual assault on local women have forced the local population including women and children to pick up gun against them. Terrorists are forcing many locals to work as porters without any payment, committing rape on women and minor girls, utilizing the money, assets and resources of locals for their own use.

"Thus, a strong need was being felt to provide these innocent civilians with some type of self-defence which lead to generation of the idea of a fourth force multiplier," he added.

Village Defence Committee of Marah is just not simple organization but is a new force to reckon with. The VDC Marah now has become a role model for others. It has emerged as local force including trained women and children.

The Village Defence Committees were set up in Jammu and Kashmir in mid-nineties following a number of massacres of the innocent villagers in far flung villages of the troubled region. As the police or army pickets were far off from the civilian areas in these inaccessible villages resulting which the terrorists made these people as their soft targets, the concept of VDCs emerged wherein the civilians were imparted training for self defence and thus repulse terrorist-attack. The state police provided them weapons.

Till now, the VDC members were men in arms doing their routine work and had some defense power against terrorists. During day most of them remain outside their homes to earn livelihood, leaving female and children besides the old persons. But now, women have also joined the men in these VDC. To repulse any attack, the VDC women wing has been constituted.

"The VDC is organized in an infantry company pattern and to give them a sense of pride and belongingness the platoons and sections have been named after the local mohallas and this has worked wonders," said an army officer posted in the area adding presently there are four platoons and twelve sections and one section of women wing.

The training of VDC members is organized at a regular basis at security force company posts and the members are given weapon training which include firing, basic handling and cleaning of weapon, tactical training including minor tactics, battle craft and field craft drills to including stalking, crawling, fire and move.

http://www.sawf.org/newedit/edit02212005/kashmir.asp

 

Arms for Manipur villagers to keep insurgents at bay

May 4th, 2008 - 6:10 pm

Imphal, May 4 (IANS) Authorities in Manipur, one of northeast India’s worst insurgency-hit states, have decided to arm villagers with weapons to enable them protect themselves from militants and control rebel activities, officials said Sunday. “The state cabinet has decided to train up to 500 villagers in the districts of Thoubal and Imphal West and provide them weapons after local residents rose in revolt against excesses committed by armed militants who have been killing civilians and extorting cash,” said Manipur Irrigation and Flood Control Minister N. Biren.

A militant group March 24 killed three people - two teenaged girls and a boy - at Heirok village, and later killed another man at Chajing. Following these incidents, villagers rose in revolt and pressed the government to give them weapons.

To start with, 300 men from Heirok and 200 from Chajing villages would be recruited, given a month’s training on handling weapons and will be provided with .303 rifles. They will also be paid a monthly consolidated salary of Rs.3,000 each.

The new force, whose personnel shall be called ’special police officers’, would be in place from the middle of June.

Manipur, bordering Myanmar, has over two dozen active rebel groups pushing demands ranging from secession from India to maximum autonomy.

No insurgent group from Manipur is engaged in peace talks with the Indian government so far, although around six rag-tag Kuki ethnic rebel outfits are on a ceasefire with the authorities.

The decision to provide weapons to civilians has drawn criticism from civil society and rights groups.

“The move will encourage bloodshed in Manipur among people of the same ethnic origin,” said a statement by the United Committee Manipur (UCM), a civil society combine.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/arms-for-manipur-villagers-to-keep-insurgents-at-bay_10044996.html

 

 

An Indian Army personnel, Surbjeet Singh, instructs the village defence committee, VDC member Renu Bala during a training camp organized by the  Indian Army to protect themselves and their homes from militants at Sarya village near Indo-Pak line of control about 140 KM from the Northern Indian city of Jammu, winter capital of Kashmir on 16 March, 2008. 27 women from Sarya village have been trained to use AK-47s and other heavy-duty weapons. Training of VDC members at regular intervals would imbibe a sense of self-confidence and boost their confidence in dealing with an adverse situation, an Indian Army officer said. 
 

 

 

 

[TYVets]

Mumbai's population approximately 12 Million.

Police issue 1,393 gun permits over a 5 year period.

1 permit per year issued per 40,000 persons.

Thank you Founding Fathers for giving the English the boot 1776 - 1783.

[marktwain]

Thank you for the informative posts on India and guns. Please post any other articles that you find on freerepublic. I find them fascinating, and you seem to be watching for them. If you do not wish to post them, give me a heads up, and I will.

[James C. Bennett]

Sure, and you’re welcome!

[ravager]

If you have never traveled to India then you would really have no idea about Indian gun possession just by reading some silly online American blog. Just because Indian government doesn’t issue gun permits doesn’t mean Indians don’t acquire unlicensed firearms. Places like UP, Bihar & Jharkhand can make Texas and Alabama look like NY and NJ. Kids in those places learn to carry guns before they get potty trained.

[CrazyIvan]

“If you have never traveled to India then you would really have no idea about Indian gun possession just by reading some silly online American blog. Just because Indian government doesn’t issue gun permits doesn’t mean Indians don’t acquire unlicensed firearms. Places like UP, Bihar & Jharkhand can make Texas and Alabama look like NY and NJ. Kids in those places learn to carry guns before they get potty trained.”

Yup. took an Indian college kid shooting with some friends one time. He fell in love with a Colt Python one guy had. Said he could get him a dozen AKs for it in India.

[ravager]

Google “desi katta” and “desi tamancha”

And check this out:

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=115800642378

And here is what happened to a Tigress in the same state of Assam ....with an Ak-47.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-07/guwahati/30485104_1_tigress-forest-guards-kaziranga-national-park

People here in US who think India has “gun control” actually have NO IDEA what they are talking about.

[marktwain]

People here in US who think India has “gun control” actually have NO IDEA what they are talking about.

Gun control is a legal system. Here in the United States, we who oppose it are always stating how ineffective it will be in actually preventing people who want guns from obtaining them, that rather its primary purpose is to delegitimize guns so that those who have them may be driven underground and the legal maintenance of the gun culture made difficult.

From what I have read, India has very strict "gun control", but, as predicted, it does not do that great of a job of actually keeping guns from those who are willing to violate the law to have them.

[ravager]

Really? So you are saying a better legal system would have made the difference in this leopard attack incident? Explain to me that part, because to me the author of this piece of blog is a retard.

[marktwain]

I believe that the author is saying that if India did not have strict gun control, access to defensive firearms would be easier and more common.

If you do not define “gun control” as the legal controls on firearms, what do you define it as?

Are you suggesting that India’s legal restrictions on the possession, sale, and use of firearms have no effect on most of the population?

[ravager]

“Are you suggesting that India’s legal restrictions on the possession, sale, and use of firearms have no effect on most of the population?”

I don’t know how much you or the author actually knows about India but my assumption is .....nothing. Even otherwise.... India.... a country with the world’s strictest gun control has provinces that have more guns then the most gun friendly states in the US, should tell you something.

Its not the law that stops most people from acquiring firearms. If Indians think they need firearms they will have it one way or another. In India breaking the law isn’t unique to guns. What most Americans fail to understand is that, in a country where a large population live off less then a dollar a day, a $30-$40 dollar gun (only to defend themselves from a remote possibility of leopard attack) would be very low on their priority list.

I believe the author has his own agenda in regards to Gun Right.... and that is fine. He just picked the wrong example to use as his argument without any real first hand knowledge of that country or region. A very typical ignorant American armchair commentator who has to fit every incident into his own limited world view. A leopard attack incident and quote from Mahatma Gandhi isn’t likely to make his case.