NEW DELHI – A decision by the Assam government to introduce a liberal arms policy for “indigenous” civilians to defend themselves against “unlawful threats” could worsen the north-eastern Indian state’s long and bloody record of ethnic and religious violence, critics say.
That could have a far-reaching impact, including for India’s “Act East” policy. Assam’s stability is important to bring in wider development for India’s north-east, a region central to the country’s vision of developing closer ties with South-east Asia.
According to a July 31 report by Washington-based research group India Hate Lab, Assam has witnessed a “sharp and deeply concerning escalation” in hate speech, targeted harassment, violence and state-led evictions against Bengali-origin Muslims since early June, under the campaign to remove “illegal Bangladeshi immigrants”.