Gun culture in Indian society (a rough sketch) —

Apparently, the term “gun culture” been derived from American and Latin American social system in its prominence. But the gun culture is supposed to have its genesis from the very day when for the first time gun powder was discovered  and properly got applied in cannon. Her I am trying to describe “gun culture” in a rough sketch in relation to  the Indian social system. The reality is, our Nation is so huge in size and population that an “all accepted’ theory is hard to be postulated in  brief. Secondly, our social system is consisted of multilayered strata in aspects to economical, social and religious facades, it’s creates a hard task to to form an opinion.

Here, information gleaned from various sources too in fact can not be authenticated. Majorly, the description provided in this blog is based upon the perception and other sources. Indian social system is not a violent or volatile system by nature.. Though, criminal elements have ever been the part and parcel of every society since the day of inception of humanity. An average Indian trusts upon its  “law and order” system and the  judicial system. Hence the obsession for “gun” in India is not based upon the “criminal violence.”

If we peep back about the scenario of some decades ago when 85% of our population was agrarian, at that time, gun was majorly used for hunting purpose. Besides, to own a licenced gun in the country side was taken as a token of repute. To maintain that repute, often big landlords and affluent people happened to possess a licence gun. If not otherwise, these guns were used in a customary way to open aerial firing during wedding ceremonies. Specifically, during wedding procession. With the passing of time the mal application of fire arms too begun in agrarian society to decide demarcation disputes of agricultural lands. It resulted killing of party to the disputes in many cases.

Our Nation too had witnessed a great problem of bandits at a large scale mainly in the central provinces of the Country. A good deal number of decoit’s  gangs remained active and in dominance over that region on the might of the gun culture. Just a decade ago, somehow, we have been able to get rid of ” bandit ridden” social malady. The impact of these bandits had been so great in Indian society that a good deal of number of Bollywood movies, based upon their lives have come to celluloid screen and been registered as hit one.

An another aspect of the gun culture too has been related to the “Naxalite movement.” From the later period of the sixth decade of the last century to this present year of 2026, this “crisis” had kept the government badly disturbed. Dozens of districts of our Country had been Naxalite effected. Even a term “red corridor” too had been coined for these effected districts in political arena.  Even, they were in a position to run a parallel system in their dominated regions.  Indubitably, all they had been supported by anti- India leftist Urbans and foreign funding. Just a few months back, our government had had a good riddance from this big crisis.

Here, be it “bandit or Naxalite Movement,” the gun culture played its vital role in its flourishing. Though, there had been a wide difference between “bandit problem” and “Naxalite movement.” Naxalite movement had a political out look, whilst in bandit problem, the issue of individualistic ego or  hurting of self respect and retaliation had the prominent role.

Apart from all these, in a peaceful, educated social system, the so called gun culture had ever been present merely for the sake of pomp and show off. Here too, fire arms with the long barrels ( specifically in young generation,) are not preferred. Small fire arms, like hand gun were given over preference. Whosoever, once succeeds to obtain a gun licence, he by putting it in holster begins to walk in a swag. In various cases, some lanky, lean and thin, skeleton like people too succeed to obtain the gun licence for pomp and show. When these skeleton type people walk on the road with the gun in holster, it seems, their body is tilting to the side of the holster, as if, unable to carry the weight of the gun in maintaining the body posture.

In our Indian educated society, a saying goes, ‘ bro, a licence gun is used not taking the life of other persons, but in committing the suicide only.” In most of the reported suicidal attempts, if the victim owned a licence gun, he used that gun to end his own life either. The gruesome aspect of this gun culture too generally been reported in other shape also.  In a violent domestic discord between husband and wife, the person happened to apply the gun shot in raging spurt of moments and shot down his wife and children. After realizing the gravity of sinful offence, even he too shot himself in repentance.

Only poor number of cases been reported where a person applied his fire arm in self defense. In contrast to this, In criminal world, the country made as well as foreign made fire arms been reported to be used frequently. The ironical aspect of fire arms is, if you buy a fire arm on licence, it costs you at a much more higher price. Contrary to this, a criminal can buy the same factory made or foreign made fire arms in just at a half rate as a smuggled goods. Offenders too have got the categories. Often times, local, unorganized criminals use country made fire arms, be it hand gun with single shot cartridge or revolver type gun. These type of home made guns are available at a cheap rate. These offenders are smart enough to arrange such sort of fire arms.

But if we look into the huge size and population of India, still in social, individual offences, the use of fire arms is comparatively very low. Here, I have applied the social- individual offences, not the foreign sponsored political violent movements, both had a wide chasm in between. Still, the heinous crimes committed in the society are result of spurt of moment and whatever weapon in shape of piece of brick, spade, stick or  knife, the enraged offender lays his hand over, he applies that majorly.

This blog is composed with intent to manifest the “basic instinct” of gun culture in our society. Still, gun holding is a “show casing,’ not the part and parcel of violent offensive mental set up as it has been in various other Countries.  In some advanced Nations of the other part of the globe, people apply the gun culture to vent out their personal pant up feelings on a slight provocation . They happen to apply their valid gun for invalid purposes. Penned By — Vinay Pharasi —–