December 9, 2019
Mala Roy speaks on The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Chairman Sir, the Bill seeks to decrease the number of licensed firearms allowed per person and increase penalties for certain offences under the Act; it also introduces a new category of offences.
Unlicensed fireman
The Bill, provides for punishment of holding unlicensed firearms, that is a good step but what are the measures being taken by the government to stop the smuggling of arms and ammunition into the country? Until March, 2019, the police has seized one hundred and seventy four illegal firearms and more than two thousand live cartridges for various individuals in Delhi alone.
Firearms as facilities
The government has to define what a firearm is? There are various sporting facilities across the country where competitive sport is practised on the field. Will they be affected as well? What are the provisions for the same?
Tracking of firearms
The Bill proposed the tracking of fireman’s and ammunition which is a good step, but who guards the guard? Will the privacy of people holding licensed firearms not be compromised? There has to be a holistic mechanism for the collection and protection of data. The government has still not tabled the Data Protection Bill in Parliament.
New offences
The Bill prohibits using firearms in celebratory gun fire which is a good step but there has to be provisions for banning the use of arms for other acts, like a farmer using a licensed gun to ward of animals from his crops.
Demonetisation, the government is 2016, had claimed that demonetisation would kill terrorism to counter so requires holistic polices and strong actions, far reaching and over achieving legislation is required. In this context, what has the government done to curb terror? Has demonetisation reduced the number of terror activities by stabling the flow of illegal cash. Has the government found out the number of attacks post the announcement of the policy?
Thank you, Sir.
