The Delhi Police has restricted issuing gun licences in a bid to control misuse of firearms in the city. But, youths are still trigger happy here.
MetroNow has been highlighting how easy availability of unlicenced weapons and tendency among young criminals to shoot without any provocation has become cause of concern. But, the cops are of the view that the use of firearms and rate of crime are very much in control.
Every other day, the city witness incidents where firearms are used either to take revenge or to snatch valuables. And if you extend help in these cases, you will also have to face the music.
The recent example is Saturday’s shootout in south Delhi where three persons — Harjeet Singh and Ashneet Singh of Amar Colony and Sanjeev Suri of Uttam Nagar — were killed. Two miscreants on a bike shot two men near Amar Colony probably to take away their bike. Later, around 45 minutes, the miscreants fired on Suri (39), a security supervisor of a reputed hotel, who died on way to hospital.
Traders and residents of south Delhi have taken to roads in protest against the police inability to catch the “serial killers”. Obviously, this cannot carry on like this for ever. But this also leaves us open to various questions. What is it that attracts youth to violence? Is gun culture a western influence? How can we check the menace before it overwhelms our society? Do you have any solutions?
3 Comments
July 14, 2008 at 5:15 pm
The main thing which attracts the youth is the action movies. In which they show the hero and his mates fire with their weapons on the villains party and do the stunts to protect the heroin, the gen x feels and imagines themself on the situation of the hero firring bullets on the villain. Yes no doubt the western influence. Like we saw in the case of a school in America where a person started shooting on the students in the school premesis itself. The gen x are influenced completely by these examples. What message are these examples trying to give us, only how to use the arms. They also wants to use arms. It can only be checked by preventing the reach of arms out of students, those who own a legal weapon should keep it away from the reach of children. The cops should not provide weapons to the civilians only so that these cases won’t effect the society. Who wants a gun rather than a safe child at home, hence the weapons should be taken by the police back to prevent anymore killing.
July 15, 2008 at 5:19 am
India is a democratic country and everyone in the nation is enjoying its rights. Gun represent Power. Who doesn’t want to get powerful. Youth are not influenced by any country or movie or any culture. They do it in peer pressure. To overcome their own hidden weaknesses. Anything which is different, exciting and thrilling ..which can prove them a Superhero among their group..they will do it. Now matter how much you stop them.
Its time for us to think that it is mere wastage of time and effort by protesting against anybody. They are the ruling body and have their own set of rules and restrictions. Police is not James Bond, who can solve any case or stop any crime in the city. They are normal as we are, but yes trained for such activities.
The only thing whch we can do is to play the game safely. Let us get trained ourself within the frame of laws and mind our business.
July 16, 2008 at 12:24 pm
There are more reasons behind this escalating gun culture in India, the fascist way of life which is not alien to Indian culture now.
Along with the Gurgaon school shootout in December, 07, the recent serial firearm killings in open Delhi roads by the bike-borne miscreants also sent shockwaves across the nation. After Arushi-Hemraj’s murder’s unfinished mysterious murder story, the firearms owe grips Delhi. Delhiites feel unsafe in public roads and hang-outs.
The western influence has seen in India in escalating the gun culture. Consciously or unconsciously, gun culture a little bit is a result of western influence. The Virginia and Illinois shooters’ campus carnages and other terrible happenings all over the world make us more tolerable to such happenings. We can now bear the deaths and killings of people easily. The daily happenings make us less sensible to such incidents. In a second, we can know about the entire things which are going around the world through media.
Metro Now’s take on gun culture reminds me one incident. One day, my roommate demonstrator sister came with a dazzling smile. She always carried her stories of daily new experiences of interaction with western people in an international exhibition of warfare equipments at Pragati Maidan. In the last day, a US national had given her a miniature model of Taser gun as a gift. She kept it with her most secret belongings. In her words, “How beautiful the gun is!” I screamed myself how in today’s world a youngster can praise a gun like a cosmetic product.
Many people say that the young generation in India is becoming increasingly violent, insensitive, belligerent, obnoxious and restless. Some parents are themselves captive of materialistic world, devoid of real sense of human values like compassion, helping hands to weak and older section of the society. Man is now slave in the compound walls of high breed buildings. Enjoying favourite pastime with neighbours or family members are a thing of past in the modern metros. The crimes are result of complex reasons of broken ethics of society and changing mindset of young minds.
Besides western influence, action movies or easy availability of guns, youth’s hanker after easy money are other reasons for gun culture. Youngsters cry for easy money to lead a lavish lifestyle. Action movies zigzag crime scenes is aiding this kind of culture. Youth also hankers after popularity, carries a superhero image. The mafia group targets some youngsters to run their brutal errands.
How we can stop such recurrence of incidents? It is so complex in accordance with the complex crimes. Crimes are increasing day by day. Police are bewildered as the nature of the crimes change day by day. Who can imagine a nicely dress guy can shoot you at any moment just for a little material thing, a chain of gold. The Delhi police need to be more alert to curb this sleep robbing menace. It is a fact that a significant majority of gun crimes done by youngsters. The motives are robbery or revenge.
In my opinion, parents need to give more attention to the children, their behaviours, their interests. Parents having lethal weapons must be conscious about it.
Media can play a vital positive role to curb this escalating gun culture by highlighting some suggestive tips to the commuters and city dwellers. The people will be more conscious about safety tips, how to move in this crime lashed city.
The gun crime is originating from a specific section of society; hence a concentrated task force is an appropriate reply to prevent an adjacent plan from crime and disorder. Besides throwing mud to everywhere, I like to suggest the Delhi Police to update their tactics to catch these miscreants.
Shall we able to spread the Indian culture of tolerance and Ahimsa to the youngsters involved in this gun culture?