Gun Culture – How India Compares To USA

The month of October began with a horrific news that once again brought the issue of gun control to the limelight. One is forced to ask, how long before the Gun Culture is considered a serious threat, How many more innocents must lay down their lives?

USA – Statistics and the Underlying Cause

The United States lies at the centre of the gun culture debate. According to a survey, 310 million i.e. 48% of globally owned guns are possessed by US citizens. Which implies, 89 guns per 100 people. Many Americans have lived in a gun-owning household where guns were either used for hunting, sports, or simply protection.
According to a survey by Pew Research Centre, 72% of all US adults have shot a gun.

Guns have become an integral part of the American culture. They are associated with one’s sense of freedom and personal identity. Often seen as a reason for pride. Moreover, the gun industry has taken advantage of increasing xenophobia to perpetuate their agenda. No longer is owning a gun questioned. Rather it has become a norm. In some states of the US, “you can buy a gun before you can buy a beer, and without thorough background checks” (BBC). A simple handgun is available over the counter at $200 and an assault rifle at $1500. In 2017, USA has witnessed 282 mass shootings, more than the number of days in this year so far(Gun Violence Archive).

India – Statistics and the Core Issue

On the other side of the planet, India has relatively fewer gun owning citizens. It ranks 110th with 4.2 guns per 100 people, according to Small Arms Survey. It is far more difficult to obtain a gun license in India, with automatic weapons being prohibited. Only upto 10% homicides involve a gun, the maximum belonging to Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and Bihar.

The gun laws in India are a lot stricter, but one can easily obtain guns illegally. Gun-related homicides do take place and 89% of gun-related murders involve unlicensed guns (National Crime Records Bureau). U.P. is considered the hub for illegally smuggled or homemade firearms. Now it is easy to obtain a rifle or an AK 47 illegally in the capital as well. Given the instability in Naxal affected areas, the maximum number of weapons seizure was in U.P. In all, more than 53,000 firearms were seized in 2015 under the Arms Act (NCRB).

Varying Arguments in Both Countries

USA

In the last year’s US presidential campaign, Donald Trump won over his conservative voters by endorsing the Republican party’s stand on gun regulation being a violation of the rights of the citizens. Post the Vegas mass shooting, Trump administration still doesn’t seem to realise the gravity of the situation. “We’ll be talking about gun laws as time goes on,” Trump said, as reported by The Guardian. In February 2017, Trump also scrapped a bill by the Obama administration which prevented severely mentally ill people from owning guns.

On the other hand, post the Orlando nightclub shooting in 2016, his predecessor, Barack Obama addressed the issue of the alarming rise of gun violence. He saw it as an imminent threat. “This massacre is…a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon” he said. “And we have to decide if that’s the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well.” Following this incident, people on the federal terrorism watch list were banned from possessing weapons.

Politics and the issue of gun control goes hand in hand. Democrats and Republicans stand divided on this issue, the 2nd Amendment which gives citizens the “right to keep and bear Arms” being the core subject. The National Rifle Association (NRA), a major contributor to the Trump presidential campaign, has an influence on the gun laws of the nation. They are strictly against all sorts of gun control laws. They suggested “mandatory gun training in schools” as a solution to the increasing gun violence.

In the USA, many people are pro-gun and still don’t see gun violence as a major problem. They often fall back on the argument that more guns, equals more safety, as one has a better chance to defend themselves. Hence, rendering the Gun Culture debate useless. But the statistics suggest otherwise. Humans lives are at stake and the need of the hour is to find measures to reduce the rising gun-related violence in the country even if it requires stricter gun laws.

India

The National Association for Gun Rights in India (NAGRI), an up and coming gun rights group too sees owning guns as a fundamental right. Their argument echoes the words of many pro-gun American citizens. The Home ministry has taken up measures and formulated new laws which make keeping track of licensed arms a lot easier, allowed ownership of licensed non-lethal devices like taser guns. They’ve also paved the way for the private sector to enter the industry.

In India, the crime rate involving guns is very low in contrast to the USA. However, 2015 NCRB surveys are the determining factor behind these crime rates, these are unreliable. The main issue is the thriving market for illegal firearms, which leads to voilatile Gun Culture. Another way to go is by regularising the gun markets of Bihar and UP. Although gun-related violence is less in India, there is the likelihood of a homicide by an illegal firearm. There is a need to update records and a requirement to crackdown the illegal firearms market.