More than a month since the Assam government launched a portal for “indigenous citizens” in the state’s “vulnerable and remote” areas to seek arms licences, 266 people have applied, with the two Muslim-majority districts of Nagaon and Dhubri accounting for over three-fourths of the applications. While 28 applications have been rejected, none have been accepted so far, indicating the careful balance officials are attempting to strike before arming people with weapons.

In May, the Assam cabinet had approved the special scheme, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma saying that the possession of firearms would enable citizens in such areas to protect themselves from “demographic and security challenges”. On several instances, he specifically mentioned areas where Bengali-origin Muslims ar

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