Abhijeet's Blog

SUMMARY OF WHAT THE HOME MINISTRY SEEKS TO DO

2010-01-06T00:16:00-07:00

SUMMARY OF WHAT THE HOME MINISTRY SEEKS TO DO THROUGH THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE ARMS ACT

1. Negating the constitutional right of every citizen to protect his/ her life and property by denying them the tools to do so

2. Glossing over & trying to divert attention from the ineptitude of the State in combating lawlessness by targeting law abiding citizens who are Arms License Holders/ License Seekers by equating them with common criminals and anti-national elements, in spite of the fact that the statistics published Home Ministry prove that an insignificant number of crimes are committed by Arms License Holders. Overwhelming majority of crime committed using other arms or illegal arms – as criminals & anti-national elements DO NOT bother to apply for Arms Licenses

3. Creating a class of haves & have nots by providing exemptions for VIPs & VVIPs, in effect recognising and institutionalising a class system under the law, which is supposed to apply to all persons equally without fear or favour

4. The Right to Keep & Bear Arms promised to all Indians as a Fundamental Right as per the (All Party) Nehru Report of 1928, as well as by the 1931 Karachi resolution adopted by the Congress. Finally enshrined as a Legal Right as per the Arms Act 1959, which can be ascertained by the objectives of the Act. Proposed amendments seek to completely undermine this right, in effect leaving common citizens at the mercy of all manner of criminals & anti-national elements

5. Hon'able courts have recognised this as a right, by equating the right to keep & bear arms to Article 21 of the Indian Constitution

6. All India Arms License Endorsement to be made almost impossible for the average citizen, in effect curtailing a citizens Fundamental Right to protect life, liberty & property AS WELL as Fundamental Right to freedom of movement

7. Multiple proposals within the proposed amendments will lead to increased harassment of honest law abiding citizens and eventually promote corruption

8. Proposed centralised database of all Arms License holders, nothing but a cleverly veiled attempt at undermining individual State's authority by encroaching on the state subject of Law & Order, AS WELL as treating all Arms Licensees as potential criminals and terrorists, effectively crushing their personal privacy and opening them up to constant harassment & needless government surveillance

9. Completely ignores demands by the public to make arms licensing easier, as considering the current security environment in the country, anyone anywhere can become the victim of random acts of violence or terror. Did the victims of 26/11 in Mumbai have any premonition of what was going to happen? Did they not have a right to be arms and prepared? Could they not have better defended themselves, instead of waiting for security forces that took hours to arrive?

10. Strict licensing for semi-auto rifles & shotguns is a backward looking policy, considering that criminals & anti-national forces have easy & cheap access to fully automatic firearms in the black market and they are NOT lining up to get licenses for the same

11. Arms Licensing process should be made free & fair based on transparent objective criteria and not made stricter, as citizens today face more threats than they did 50 years ago

12. Indians found it easier to procure Arms Licenses as slaves under the British Empire than they do today, it is a national shame that our democratically elected government of the people, by the people and for the people DOES NOT TRUST THE PEOPLE!

Draconian new amendments - request for action

2010-01-20T21:41:00-07:00

As some of you are aware the Ministry of Home Affairs is planning on amending the existing Arms policy and this will make things worse than they already are for all of us who love guns & shooting and who wish to live in a truly free country! In case you are unaware of the proposed changes, kindly take a look at the document titled "Proposed Arms and Ammo Policy" which is available at http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/DAAM-PolicyIndividuals-211209.pdf

There is a prepared text below addressed to Shri S.K Malhotra. The same text is also available as downloadable files in various formats (to suit everyone's tastes and to make it easier to print/ copy/ paste/ edit etc.), which can be downloaded from:

http://www.indiansforguns.com/draft_objections.pdf (Acrobat PDF document format)
http://www.indiansforguns.com/draft_objections.rtf (Rich Text Format, editable in most office programs)
http://www.indiansforguns.com/draft_objections.txt (plain text format, editable in any text editor)
http://www.indiansforguns.com/draft_objections.odt (Open Office document format, editable)

You can send in the prepared text as it is, or use it as a base to prepare your own individual objections. Irrespective of what you choose to do, PLEASE DO send in your objections without fail. This is not any one individuals battle, but in stead a matter which AFFECTS ALL OF US, do not take this lightly.

Vikram's excellent article (which I would suggest everyone attach as an enclosure), continues to be freely downloadable at:
http://www.indiansforguns.com/right_to_protection.pdf

All of the above can be freely downloaded by members/ non-members.

Please e-mail this along with the attached Right To Protection document to S.K. Malhotra at:

sudhir.malhotra@nic.in

Also, please CC the same e-mail to:

P. Chidamabaram: hm@nic.in
Sonia Gandhi: soniagandhi@sansad.nic.in
Arun Jaitley: ajaitley@sansad.nic.in
Sushma Swaraj: sushmaswaraj@hotmail.com

You should also copy the prepared text to the Prime Minister at manmohan@sansad.nic.inI would be additionally grateful if you print out the text below and post it via Registered Acknowledged Post orSpeed Post to :

Shri S.K. Malhotra,
Deputy Secretary,
Ministry of Home Affairs,
9th Floor, Lok Nayak Bhavan,
Khan Market, New Delhi - 110003.

Also, please post copies of the same to:

Shri P. Chidamabaram
Minister of Home Affairs.
Room No. 104,
North Block,
New Delhi - 110001
Ph:011-23092462, 23094686, 23093750 Fax-23094221

Dr. Manmohan Singh,
Prime Minister's Office,
Room No. 148 B,
South Block,
New Delhi - 110 001.
Office Tel : 23012312
23016857 (Fax)

Smt. Sonia Gandhi,
Chairperson,
National Advisory Council,
2 Motilal Nehru Place,
New Delhi -110011.

Smt. Sushma Swaraj
8, Safdarjung Lane,
New Delhi -110011.
Telephone 011- 23794344, 23794044 09868181930 (M)

Shri Arun Jaitley,
A-44, Kailash Colony,
New Delhi - 110048.
Telephone 011-26478212, 26487483, Fax : 26478358

Please note that all missives and e-mails need to reach Mr. S.K. Malhotra before 6th January, 2010.

Also, I would humbly request you to please request like minded members of your family and your friends to send the prepared text via e-mail and post to the above mentioned at the earliest.

Please treat this e-mail with all possible urgency, because if the Min. of Home Affairs does not receive your individual feedback within the stipulated time, it will be under no obligation to consider it.

Furthermore, I would also request each one of you to visit the relevant discussion at IFG which is at http://indiansforguns.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7913&start=60 (Page 5 onwards) various members have posted many e-mail IDs where we all should send in our individual feedback on this new draconian policy, PLEASE do take out the 5 minutes required to do so. Your 5 minutes CAN help ensure our present and future generations continued enjoyment of FREEDOM!

Lastly, if ANY of you have any suggestions, contacts that would be of help, PLEASE don't be shy to contact webmaster [at] indiansforguns [dot] com , we'll ensure that whatever information set in, is promptly addressed with all urgency.

I wish you all the very best for the year to come and let us try and ensure that this is a good one for all responsible gun owners!

Right to Protection

2009-09-30T08:41:00-07:00

A close friend and moderator at www.indiansforguns.com, Vikram Kona, has written an excellent essay titled:
Right to Protection - A Fundamental Responsibility & Failure of the Indian State.

Vikram takes Indian crime statistics over the past several decades and other government government published data, to completely expose the failure of the Indian state in it's duty to protect citizens. To add insult to injury, neither will the state allow citizens the means to protect themselves! A must read, you can either download the article in PDF format from here >>> OR see the complete discussion on www.indiansforguns.com.

Mumbai's Harsh Lesson on Gun Control

2009-01-05T22:02:00-07:00

People across the globe watched in shock as the terror attack on Mumbai unfolded on television screens everywhere. The meticulous planning and the sheer audacity of the attacks stunned the world and, in the final analysis, set the stage for a pure human tragedy: 195 lives lost, many times that number seriously injured, and hundreds of families scarred forever.

The terrorists targeted iconic landmarks like the busy CST railway terminus, two luxury hotels, a local Jewish outreach centre, a cafe, and a hospital. They placed bombs in taxis and other locations. All of these attacks occurred almost simultaneously, compounding the confusion and completely exposing the inept emergency services.

Now as the citizens of Mumbai go about the business of rebuilding their burnt out landmarks and trying to heal shattered lives, the emotions of a nation turn from horror to anger at being let down by those very people whose duty it was to protect them. But instead of playing the blame game it is time for the citizens of India to pause and try to understand why was it that these merchants of terror succeeded so well in their dastardly enterprise and how culpable are we for creating the circumstances which multiplied the magnitude of this tragedy many fold. After all, this was only a group of ten terrorists and those ten were mostly split into teams of two each, to enable them to cover several locations simultaneously. Why were they not stopped sooner? Did so many people really have to die?The entire blame cannot be squarely placed at the door of the low-paid, inept, corrupt, and ill-equipped police force. If you rely solely on the authorities to protect you and ensure your safety, you are rather naive. It is impossible for even the best trained and best equipped police force in the world to be everywhere all at once and to guarantee every single citizen complete protection. But forget about the best police force in the world. In the present case, even though armed policemen were present at the CST railway terminus, no solid attempt was made to even pin down the two terrorists who attacked CST.

Sebastian D'Souza a news photographer who witnessed the entire scene, and also took the photos that were flashed in most newspapers around the world, had this to say:

There were armed policemen hiding all around the station but none of them did anything. At one point, I ran up to them and told them to use their weapons. I said, "Shoot them, they're sitting ducks!" but they just didn't shoot back. I told some policemen the gunmen had moved towards the rear of the station but they refused to follow them. What is the point if having policemen with guns if they refuse to use them? I only wish I had a gun rather than a camera.

"I only wish I had a gun," a statement that echoes one of the biggest failures of Indian democracy. The state has actively prevented law-abiding citizens from owning the tools with which to protect their lives!

It wasn't supposed to be this way, in fact throughout the freedom struggle our leaders actively campaigned for gun rights, including M.K. Gandhi himself. In it's 1931 Karachi session the Congress party, which was at the forefront of our freedom struggle, adopted a 20-point resolution on fundamental rights, this included the right to keep and bear arms. However, when India finally became independent in 1947, this right was missing from the new constitution that was finally adopted.

Instead the Indian parliament made noises about weapon "regulation" and eventually replaced the British time Arms Act with the new Arms Act of 1959, which boldly promised to make it easier for citizens to own guns, but in essence was a rehash of the old legislation.

But the Indian government has not merely used legislation and licensing to keep guns out of the hands of civilians. It has also used state policy to ensure that firearms and ammunition prices are probably some of the highest in the world. Domestic production of rifled firearms is a state monopoly, churning out crude products that are priced at 7 (or more) times their cost of production. Similarly domestic production of ammunition is a state monopoly with inconsistent supplies, poor quality, and very high prices. This combined with the fact that imports have been virtually banned since 1986 means that an ordinary snub nosed .357 Colt revolver will sell (legally) for a mind boggling US $20,000 or more.

A tight licensing regime combined with the high price of acquiring a legal gun has meant that very few Indians own weapons. Unsurprisingly these restrictions have also meant that there is a thriving black market for arms and ammunition, ensuring a steady supply to all manner of criminals -- people who don't bother about the niceties of remaining within the purview of the law.

Citizens must jump through several hoops to get an arms license and then pay crazy prices for ordinary products. But black market firearms are available at a small fraction of the cost of legal firearms. A country-made single shot handgun can cost as little as US $ 20, imported handguns go for US $ 500- $1,000, and AK-47's (like the ones that were used in this attack) cost about US$ 1,500 or thereabouts on the black market. There never was a clearer real life example of how gun control takes guns out of the hands of decent law-abiding folk and puts them right into the hands of criminals.

At the Jewish outreach centre, bystanders pelted the terrorists with stones in a vain attempt to ward off the attack, but had to retreat when the terrorists opened fire with automatic rifles. Our citizens were trying to ward off the terrorists with stones! I cannot think of a more extreme example of how helpless the government has rendered it's own citizens. In the absence of guns, and thus incapable of offering any resistance, they were simply like lambs to the slaughter. On that fateful day, this was a story repeated again and again all over Mumbai: unarmed civilians, slow & inept emergency services, and mindless slaughter of innocents.

But we live in a democracy; hence at the end of the day it is each one of us who is to blame. It is we the people who must ask our representatives hard questions; it is we who must bring the right to bear arms to the forefront of the political agenda. We have the power to effect change through our votes and with elections just a few months away, let us not forget the lessons of Mumbai, let us not forget those that lost their lives there, many of who could have been saved if just a few of us were armed.

As citizens it is incumbent on us to make sure we don't allow another tragedy like Mumbai to take place. As free men and women it is our responsibility to take measures to protect ourselves as best we can, using the best available tools and it's high time we demanded them as a right!
*****************************************************************
This article was featured in the December 10, 2008 issue of American Thinker

link >>>

Back in the stone age?

2008-12-01T13:22:00-07:00

Image courtesy Oleg Volk - www.olegvolk.net

As per this news report bystanders at Nariman House in Mumbai tried to thwart the terrorists attacking the Jewish centre by throwing rocks at them. Rocks!! Rocks versus AK-47's and grenades? Yet people still debate whether armed citizens could have meant a substantially lower body count??!! If just one or two of those bystanders had a handgun or a semi-auto rifle in stead of just rocks, the rabbi and many others who died at that location may still be alive today...

I wish I'd had a gun, not a camera!

2008-12-01T13:05:00-07:00

"I wish I'd had a gun, not a camera!" These were the words of the Mumbai based news photographer who clicked the photo of one of the terrorists, while they attacked the CST railway station. You can read more of what he had to say here here >>

Disturbingly he had this to say about the armed railway police charged with guarding the railway station - "There were armed policemen hiding all around the station but none of them did anything..." This simply underlines the need for more private citizens to be armed and prepared to defend themselves, we should not and cannot depend on the police to come save us in such situations.

Image courtesy Oleg Volk - www.olegvolk.net

If only we had guns!

2008-12-01T13:08:00-07:00

Image courtesy Oleg Volk - www.olegvolk.net

The dastardly terrorist attack on Mumbai last week (once again) exposed how strict gun control laws directly help criminals target law abiding citizens with impunity. The terrorists came to Mumbai armed not only with AK-47's, grenades and bombs, but also with the knowledge that they could safely expect no armed resistance from the citizens of Mumbai!Successive Indian governments have put in place legislation and policy measures that have ensured that terrorists have as safe a work environment as possible. Our own elected representatives have been looking out for the interests of the bad guys! The long standing government policy has been one of limiting gun ownership through a tight arms licensing regime combined with industrial & import policies that ensure that (legal) arms & ammunition are stupendously expensive and thus out of reach for most.

A used handgun that retails for under US$ 700 (new) in USA, ends up costing up to US$ 6,000 or even more in India (prices upwards of US$ 20,000 are not unheard of, and these are ordinary handguns not collectors pieces). Mind boggling? It gets worse, even if you manage that elusive arms license and fork out more than 10 or 20 times the original price for a 20 year (or more) old handgun, you have to contend with ammunition purchase limits. The limit most commonly imposed on arms licenses is 25/50 i.e., you can purchase 25 rounds at a time, subject to a maximum of 50 in a calendar year... this is what the government considers more than adequate for you to prepare yourself for a "self-defence" situation. Of course there is also the small matter of where you would practice your skills, shooting ranges being few and far between and where they do exist, membership is required more often than not... many a times a cumbersome process in itself... not that ammunition is exactly cheap in India, but if you can swing an arms license and also afford to pay so much money for an ordinary .32 calibre handgun, I'm assuming you are loaded to begin with!

A death toll of 188 (expected to rise further) and many times more injured. All this mayhem perpetuated by only a handful of terrorists! can we afford to ignore the writing on the wall? Can anyone contest the fact that, if even a small percentage of their victims had been armed & prepared - the terrorists would have been stopped much earlier and the death count would have been substantially lower? It is high time the Indian public demands that it no longer be denied one of the most basic human rights - the right to self-defence.

Pistol found in unclaimed bank locker

2007-11-12T14:28:00-07:00

A pistol gifted by a Raja to a British officer in 1920s found in an unclaimed locker of State Bank of India.

The Times of India reports that an antique (sic) pistol supposedly gifted to Lt A B Greenwood, sometime in the 1920s by an unknown Raja was found (along with 261 rounds of ammo) in an unclaimed locker of the State Bank of India's head office at Fort, Mumbai.

An interesting aside - as per receipts found with the pistol, the (highly engraved) custom made gun is supposed to have cost Rs. 300 at the time while the ammunition recovered is supposed to have cost Rs. 200. By the same measure, 261 rounds of .32 cal IOF (KF brand) ammo would cost less than Rs. 9,000 today... of course these days, there is little chance of purchasing any kind of pistol for a proportionate amount of around Rs. 13-14,000!!

Read the full article here >>

Cheers!
Abhijeet

Indians for guns

2006-06-13T01:23:00-07:00

Indians for guns (formerly Indians4guns) has a new home!

Check out this brand new India specific pro-gun forum here.

How to meditate

2006-06-13T01:25:00-07:00

Interesting site on how to meditate, called www.how-to-meditate.org. Check it out here

Kamat's Potpourri

2006-06-13T01:25:00-07:00

Kamat's Potpourri is a hodge-podge of India's History, Culture, and Diversity. A Nice place to go to especially if you are interesed in India and India specific blogs. Check it out at www.kamat.org

PostSecret

2006-06-13T01:27:00-07:00

A truly unique Blog! Will appeal to the (hidden??) voyeuristic side of your personality....

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

23 Rules for Rockstar Startups

2005-04-06T03:12:00-07:00

Shanti lists out 23 rules for making your startup a roaring success - a must read.

Indians4Guns

2006-06-13T01:28:00-07:00

Indians 4 Guns is India's own eGroup for technical discussion about firearms, firearm advocacy, gun rights, RKBA (Right to Keep and Bear Arms) and shooting sports in India. This group is intended to provide answers to frequently asked questions both on guns and about gun ownership in India.

Indian Air-Rifles

2006-06-13T01:30:00-07:00

The Indian Hume Pipe Company - These guys manufacture & supply the best air-rifles in the domestic Indian market.

I'm in "The New Gun Week"

2006-06-13T01:30:00-07:00

The following article by yours truly was published in "The New Gun Week" 10 Dec 2004 issue: "Gun Rights in Modern India: Colonial Roots of Gun Control". The original was posted by me here in October 2004.

The article can also be viewed in the Gun Week archives here.

Bugmenot.com

2005-09-23T05:53:00-07:00

Bugmenot.com - Bypass compulsory web registration. They have usernames & passwords available for most of the popular websites AND it's FREE!