Arms dealers face bleak future in Bengal

Arms dealers in West Bengal face a bleak future, as their business has declined drastically over the years due to the state government’s tight gun licensing policy.

“Our business is completely dependent on the number of licences issued by the state government. Not many licences are being issued. The government cites security reasons for not issuing licences,” said Biswajit Biswas, secretary of the West Bengal Arms Dealers Association.

Biswas is also the owner of D N Biswas & Co, which was started in 1840 by his ancestor, Dwarika Nath Biswas. The establishment sells all civilian guns that are allowed under the law, including 12-bore guns, .315 rifles, .32 pistols and revolvers.

“The number of licences issued in the past 10 years or so has reduced considerably. The scene for arms dealers started getting worse in the 1970s during the Naxal period and it has never recovered since,” said Biswas.

“The Arms Act was enacted in 1841, a year after this shop was opened. The basic tenet of the Arms Act is that society should not feel insecure. But the government is not ready to relent,” said Biswas.

He said the number of gun licences being issued by the state government is about 200 per year. He added business had fallen 75 per cent over the past 10 years. He is the seventh generation of the Biswas family to be involved in this business, and possibly the last.

“The new generation is not interested in this business and many of them have already started moving out,” he said.

Now that the licence regime is so tight in West Bengal, members of the arms dealers association are dependent on buyers from other states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Assam. Biswas said that unlike West Bengal, states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have a relatively lenient policy of issuing gun licences.

The association comprises 20 members in West Bengal. Biswas is resigned about the future of the business. If the state government does not change the arms policy for civilians, arms dealers will not have much more time in this business. I will give them 10 years at the most,” he said.