Goans acquiring weapons for self-defence on the rise

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-12-10
PANAJI — The image of Goa being a peaceful state is gradually changing, with the threat perception from various quarters ranging from robbers to terrorists forcing more and more residents to go for acquisition of weapons.
The home department statistics informs that between January 1, 2005, and July 31, 2008, altogether 346 persons have been granted gun licences under three categories pertaining to the area of validity namely State, Multi-state and All India.
Those who have been issued the licences include the former governor, Mr S C Jamir, the Speaker of Goa legislative assembly, Mr Pratapsingh Rane, the Kumbharjua MLA, Mr Pandurang Madkaikar, the former adhyaksha of North Goa Zilla Panchayat, Ms Jennifer Monserrate, the chief manager of the Bank of Baroda, Panaji branch, the deputy manager of the State Bank of India, treasury branch, Panaji and Mr Ashwin Khalap, the son of the former Union minister, Mr Ramakant Khalap.
The arms licences are issued by the state home department to the residents of Goa only. In all, 339 persons have been given gun licence under the State category, 6 have been granted licence under the All India category while one person has been issued the licence under the Multi-state category. Those given the gun licences under the State category have been asked to restrict the use of weapon to either their residence, taluka of residence, district, or the entire state of Goa, depending upon the requirement. A majority of the applicants who were granted these licences had mentioned self defence/ self protection or crop protection as a purpose/ reason behind the need for possessing the weapon.
Interestingly, applicants like Ms Palmira Fernandes based in Parra, Bardez and Mr Maureen Rodrigues of Khobravado have mentioned display of weapon as the purpose/ reason for acquiring the weapon, while Mr Subhas Malwankar, a resident of St Inez, Panaji has stated that the purpose/ reason behind acquiring the weapon is sports.
The bank officials who have been granted the licenses have maintained that the gun is required by them for the security of the bank.
There exists a large number of residents from Salcete, Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona talukas who have acquired the gun for the purpose of crop protection while comparatively less farmers and cultivators from Ponda, Sattari and Pernem talukas have done so.
A senior police official on the condition of anonymity told ‘The Navhind Times’ that the personal security of an individual is at stake in present times, more so in Goa, as there is a large number of floating population consisting of poor migrants in the state.
“When the members of this floating population go jobless, at least some of them are compelled to turn to crime, like housebreaking or street robberies,” he observed, adding that most of the people who have acquired a gun are businessmen, say running an industrial unit, a cloth shop, a petrol pump and so on.
In fact, these individuals have a history of being robbed when they were returning home in the late evening with the day’s collection, the police official stated. He also maintained that some of the applicants for the gun licence wanted to possess the weapon as a status symbol; however, their number being very less.