Celebratory gun fire has claimed many lives
The menace of celebratory gun fire rarely grabs headlines, as a result of which the public and policymakers alike seem largely unperturbed by this problem. Yet as the string of accidents in recent weeks shows, this is a rapidly growing problem that needs to be tackled right away before India has a ‘gun problem' on its hand, much like the US. In fact, after the US, it is in India that the second largest number of people fall victim to indiscriminate gun use (this does not include those killed in insurgencies or criminal gang violence). Most recently, on Tuesday, a 17-year-old girl, who was hit by a stray bullet from celebratory firing at a wedding procession passing by her house in outer Delhi's Mongolpuri area, succumbed to her injuries. Also, on Tuesday, an 18-year-old male was killed and two other members of a wedding party injured, after being similarly hit by stray bullets at a wedding in Bihar's Bhojpur district. Two days earlier, the police had to walk into cricketer Ravindra Jadeja's wedding in the outskirts of Rajkot, Gujarat, following reports of celebratory gun fire and constitute an inquiry. last month, at least two people lost their lives to celebratory gun fire at weddings one near Badnagar in Madhya Pradesh and another at Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. This list could go on to include celebratory firing after poll victories, for example in fact, that's how in February an eight-year old boy was killed in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh. There are two aspects to this problem. The first is law enforcement. It is illegal to fire a weapon, even if it is licensed one, in a public place. But the guilty are rarely held accountable even if their actions have tragic consequences. Moreover, in some parts of the Hindi heartland, such celebratory firing has acquired social sanction. Gun fire at a wedding signals power and affluence. It is a status symbol. This is the second problem, which was manifest in the comments of a senior Gujarat police officer investigating the Ravindra Jadeja matter. He sought to brush it away as a “minor issue”, justifying that in his Uttar Pradesh hometown, it is common for at least 100 rounds to be fired at a wedding. This mindset has to change: People need to be reminded that a gun is meant for security. It cannot be treated as an entertainment device.
The celebratory gun fire trend has to be viewed against the backdrop of extensive small arms proliferation in the county, especially in areas where the state has limited control. It is no coincidence that Uttar Pradesh tops the list of illegal weapons seizures and persons arrested for related crimes. Alongside Bihar's Munger district, it is also home to a robust (and illegal) small arms manufacturing industry. As guns become accessible and commonplace, they are used indiscriminately — people have been shot over parking space disputes and during family arguments. Unless it is controlled right away, this menace will become an epidemic.