Animal rights activists win fight over sale of air guns

A 15-year struggle of animal rights activists has finally yielded results as the government has ordered that the sale of air guns will henceforth be only through a licenced arms dealer.

Activists had been campaigning against unrestricted sale of air guns as they claimed that these weapons were being used against birds, squirrels and dogs, and a joint petition was made to the government for restricting their sale. The move to restrict sale of air guns was made after a sustained campaign by animal rights activists and on the recommendation of Animal Welfare Board of India.

According to a notification issued a few weeks ago, sale and transfer of pellet guns can only be made through a registered arms dealer. Earlier, pellet guns were available at toy shops. The fresh notification said that “sale, transfer and keeping for sale or transfer of all types of air weapons including air rifles, air guns and paintball markers or guns irrespective of the muzzle energy or calibre or bore shall be only through the authorised arms and ammunition dealers or the air weapon dealers licenced under these rules”.

An air gun having muzzle energy less than 20 joules can only be sold against an identification and residence proof of the buyer and one with more than 20 joules will be sold only through an authorised dealer.

An air gun releasing two joules energy can kill a bird, five joules energy can kill a monkey and 20 joules can kill a human being.

AWBI, while making its plea to the Union home ministry, had said that air guns, air pistols or air files procured without a license adversely affect the animals.

“PFA received hundreds of complaints from people about how their neighbours were shooting stray dogs and how children were doing target practice on birds and other animals. To us this suggested a trend which led to a stakeholder consultation and then we decided that there should be some kind of restriction,” animal right activist Gauri Maulekhi of People For Animals (PFA) said.

PFA had first moved the Delhi High Court in 2000 seeking ban on unrestricted sale of air guns, air pistols and air rifles and secured a favourable order in 2002.

However, the order was challenged by National Rifle Association of India and Manufacturers of Toy Airgun, Rifle, Pistol and Pellet Association in the Supreme Court which stayed the high court verdict prompting the activists to approach the government again.

“We told them that a pellet gun is a killer and that gun is going to be used on either birds or squirrels or dogs. It is creating a whole viciousness. You either license them or remove them,” Ms Maulekhi said and expressed her happiness over the government order which was issued in later part of July this year.