Don't flaunt your license gun. It sucks

Samarjit Kambam *

There is this man who was once a loafer, living his life hand to mouth. With lady luck by his side, he got entangled with some friends and relatives who could pull some strings in the political arena. He started doing contract works and gradually became a big contractor.

Money began to pour inside his pocket, so does his apprehension and anxiety. As we all know, we need money to survive but money is an entity that also gives one sleepless nights and restless days. For fear of getting looted of his money he pursued for a license gun and got one. But nobody from his locality knew him that he has one.

He desperately wanted to let others know that he possesses one. He thought of means to let others know about his gun. He thought of holding it and going out in the streets to grab other's attention but such act would look too childish, too odd. So, he kept on wrecking his brain and spent nights thinking what to do to let others know that he has a license gun.

One day, an idea popped up inside his head. He had to stage a fake scene. When night time arrived, he opened the gate of his house, went outside and fired three rounds in the air from his pistol. His neighbours and people of the locality panicked after hearing the sound.

Many came out to ask what happened. He then conveyed to them that a person dressed in black broke into his house and tried to rob him of his property. But the people at the vicinity were not convinced because he has two big and fierce dogs, CCTV cameras installed at vital locations and has a gate big enough to be one of a fortress.

His immediate neighbor also did not hear the barking sound of any dog. There was no way that any person could enter inside his compound. Logically, the people of his locality knew that he was giving a message to let them know that he possesses a license gun. But was his clumsy act really required? His intention was to inculcate fear in them, to let them know that he has got power.

He was, in fact, terrorising his locality with the sound of the projectile coming out from the barrel of his gun. If it were some other countries, he could be booked and an FIR lodged against him for disturbing and terrorising his neighbours.

I have come across many who possess license guns. Most of them flaunt their guns without any palpable reason. I have come across mature, calm, composed and balanced men who act weird and stupid once they possess a license gun.

In the middle of a conversation, without any tangible reason, such a breed would take out his license gun and start cleaning it with a piece of cloth and would answer to himself, "This damn thing costs me more than two lakh rupees. My previous one was cheaper, but this one's more handy and quite fancy", even though no question was asked about the price of his gun.

I really wonder what his objective was. Was it to let me know that he has a license gun at a costly price or was it a message to inculcate a fear psychosis in me, so that I don't ruffle his feathers in the future? Inspite of developing fear inside me, I felt pity for the guy who acted like a child in a stupid way.

I also have come across some friends of mine who were always ready to draw their license guns at the slightest pretext whenever the crowd gets larger. During the Yaosang season, at Thabal Chongba, they would act as volunteers with their license gun tugged openly at the back or front of their trousers. What a sight for sore eyes! And whenever an argument gets slightly heated up, they would blank-fire some rounds in the air. Oh God ! Please forgive them for their stupidity.

Then there are some guys who keep on talking about guns, guns and more guns. One would say that he prefer a Beretta of all 9 mm guns. Another would say he has a passion for Smith and Wesson revolver and another one would express his desire for possession of Glock 17 pistol. Soon the room would be filled with alien terms such as Ruger, Rex Xero 1, Allen & Wheelock, Heckler and Koch, Sig Sauer, Makarov, Dan Wesson, Kimber ….. blah blah blah.

I would yawn at them. I never want a gun in my life. Possessing a gun is against the very ideals and principles of my life. Why should I like something that can take somebody's life at an instant. Every nation of the world is making more and more dangerous weapons to kill but non of the nations in the world ever bothers to develop or invent something that can make a dead one alive. As for me, I prefer a machine that can bring a dead one to life and I would be the first one to buy it, license or no license, no questions asked.

The paramount question the writer would like to ask is, "Why would you require a license gun?" Course, its justified for those who have many enemies and whose lives are under constant threat. But why enemies? If you have enemies, then you might have done something un-good in the past. A law abiding good citizen of the society has no reason to have enemies. If you have enemies, it reflects that you had lead a phase of your life in a crooked way.

Another ironical issue is regarding the ones who go for a license gun just to flaunt and terrorise others even though there is no eminent threat to their lives. You might feel great and powerful with a gun by your side but without that gun you are the same you, the same old meek and coward one. You just can't go on a killing spree like Rambo does in the movie when you possess a license gun. It's just for protection and self defense, not to flaunt and give wrong message or wrong impression to others.

Some big shots possess license guns citing the reason for tackling underground militant groups. I should say, if that is the real intention, then you are taking you and your family to the platform of extreme hazard. If you intend to fight them bullet to bullet using your license gun, then you are inviting trouble to yourself.

Recently, just before Republic day, there were twin blasts in the very heart of Imphal city even though there were security forces as thick as thieves. Prior to that also there were bomb blasts near Johnstone Higher Secondary area, hurting a woman sweeper. If a bomb is thrown at your house in the middle of the night by the underground groups while you were in a deep slumber, what good can your license gun do?

As per the writer's opinion, license gun should be used by deformed persons and handicaps who are quite vulnerable to be robbed or physically harmed by others. You have eyes, ears, hands and legs just like others do which implies that you are a normal person physically. So, if you are a normal person, why do you require a license gun in the first place? If you have a license gun, it reflects that you are a timid and scared person, it shows that you can't tackle others man to man.

The power you feel when you hold a gun is not real power for real power lies within you only. Remember, when you purchase a license gun, you are also purchasing a bucketful of headaches mixed with apprehension.

Possessing a license gun will only rob you of your peace of mind leaving you with lots of anxiety. If you do no harm to others, if you do not have any enemies, please do away with your license gun and have a life free from anxiety and perturbed mind. Lead your life like a free bird.