Sir, It is with reference to a news item in DE. dated 7 July 2022 “Holders of licenses not uploaded on NDAL-ALIS to deposit arms within 15 days”, the said directions of District Magistrate are widely hailed and appreciated by the law abiding citizens and holders of the licensed guns, but it would have been better had the hon’ble magistrate asked those to deposit their unlicensed weapons which are illegally possessed by them and are an impending danger for the society. It will be in the favour of the peace loving and law abiding citizens if the administration initiates a crusade against the persons, irrespective of religion or caste, who possess those arms which are not covered under licensing category in India. Apart from the gun licenses issued by the DCs of the districts of Jammu division, the SDMs of Sub divisions, of Jammu, also issued the licenses to their citizens in the year 1982/83.The authorities renewed those licenses from time to time in their respective sub divisions. But, for the last few years neither the DCs of the districts nor the ADCs or SDMs are renewing the licenses for the reasons best known to them. Not to talk of marking the applications or making recommendations under routine they decline to touch the applications even with the tongs rather suggest depositing their licensed weapons with the local police stations in order to escape from the criminal proceeding against them in future. Many times this sensitive issue has been raised and discussed during the Public Administration meets but no headway has been made in this matter so far, with the result the law abiding license holders feel a sense of guilty keeping the weapons without renewal of the licenses. It is pertinent to mention here that in India nobody can purchase the weapon (gun) unless he is in possession of the license issued by the competent authority. It becomes the duty of the issuing authorities to renew these licenses, which they have issued under their seal and signatures. Everybody knows better about the kind of situations prevailing in the UT and as such not to renew the licenses and asking the license holders to deposit their weapons in the local police stations tantamount to disarming the law abiding citizens. The administration should evolve and design some procedures so that the licenses can be temporarily renewed till the guns are finally uploaded on NDAL-ALIS because the matter is serious and related with the security of the masses particularly living in the remote and inaccessible parts of the UT. Shiv Kumar Padha Basohli
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