DEHRADUN: In the heart of Dehradun, Shyam
Gun House
(formerly known as Himalayan Gun House) stores a treasure trove of antique
firearms
, including the infamous Enfield rifles, which triggered the 1857 uprising against the rule of the British East India Company. These muzzle-loading guns along with a plethora of other century-old
weapons
, largely including double barrel and single barrel guns, once entrusted to the care of these establishments by their original owners, lie unclaimed for decades as no one ever returned to retrieve them.
According to weapon enthusiasts, these firearms, primarily owned by influential figures of the time such as zamindars, lawmakers and bureaucrats from the erstwhile United Provinces (which encompassed the territories of present-day Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand during colonial times), were often issued in the names of multiple family members due to the permissive licensing laws of the time. With the passage of time, regulations tightened and maintaining numerous weapons became a burden, leading to their deposition in gun houses with the intention of future reclamation.
The anticipated retrieval, however, never materialised and the heirs of the original owners showed little interest in reclaiming the arms, possibly due to the revised Arms Act provisions that restricted the number of weapons an individual could possess. Now, the custodians of these unclaimed weapons find themselves entangled in a costly and seemingly insurmountable quagmire. Despite persistent appeals to both state and central authorities, a tangible solution remains elusive.
Lamenting the mounting predicament, Shyam Sunder, proprietor of Shyam Gun House and president of the firearms shops association in Dehradun, whose establishment alone houses over a hundred muzzle-loading guns that were deposited, said, “The root of the problem lies in the combination of stringent licensing laws and a diminishing demand for firearms, which has led to a significant decline in business viability for gun shop owners. Besides this, the cumbersome process of transferring arms licenses, mired in bureaucratic red tape, hinders the timely disposal of unclaimed weapons.”
Sunder added, “As the years continue to pass, the fate of these centuries-old weapons hangs in the balance. Without proper care and attention, they risk further deterioration, potentially losing their historical value and significance.”
This situation is not unique to Dehradun; gun shop owners in cities across the country, from Rampur and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh to Bhind and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, find themselves grappling with the issue of abandoned firearms, numbering in the hundreds.
Rashid Ullah Khan of Defence Firearms Dealers in Rampur recounts the story of a revolver, once belonging to the illustrious nawab family, deposited in 2020. “Despite the absence of rightful heirs to claim ownership, bureaucratic inertia has stymied the transfer process, exemplifying the systemic inefficiencies plaguing firearm regulation. The implementation of new Arms Rules in 2016 and the subsequent amendments to the Act in 2020 were aimed at streamlining regulatory procedures and mandating swifter approvals within a stipulated time frame. However, the reality on the ground paints a different picture, with files languishing in a labyrinth of bureaucratic corridors, moving only by offering a ‘nazrana’,” said Khan.
The repercussions of this administrative quagmire extend beyond Rampur, affecting districts like Bhind in Madhya Pradesh’s Chambal division, a region once notorious for bandits, where the shifting socio-political landscape has resulted in a significant decline in firearms sales. This has forced many establishments to close their doors. In the late 1990s, Bhind boasted 104 gun shops, however, only 14 remain operational today and even these struggle to cover their basic operating costs.
“The demand for firearms has dwindled as the need for personal protection has diminished. The era of ‘baghis’ (rebels), which necessitated the widespread ownership of guns, has long since passed. With the departure of ‘baghis’ from the Chambal region, the sale of weapons plummeted. Furthermore, the arms of license holders, who were killed in encounters or rivalries, were surrendered to the police, further reducing the number of firearms in circulation. Consequently, only a handful of shops continue to operate in the district,” said Mohd Ismail, owner of Hindustan Arms Store in Bhind.
In Bhopal’s Bharat Gun House, established in 1963, over a hundred weapons have been languishing since 1972 without any claimants. The owners’ apathy towards reclaiming these firearms mirrors the systemic apathy towards their disposition, highlighting the urgent need for governmental intervention. “The armoury houses a collection of 70 muzzle-loading guns, which have been left unclaimed by their original owners or their descendants. These firearms do not generate any revenue for the establishment, and the situation is further compounded by the fact that there is no clear disposal policy or procedure for them,” said Mohd Ibrahim, proprietor of Bharat Gun House.
Madhya Bharat Bandook Ghar in Indore echoes similar woes, stating that “the govt should devise a sustainable solution to alleviate spatial constraints burdening gun shop owners.”
Notably, even the election season, which typically proves a boon for gun shops, has failed to bring any respite for these establishments. During this period, licensed gun owners are required by the govt to surrender their weapons at police stations or authorised gun shops. In return, these establishments charge a fee for maintenance and safekeeping until the conclusion of the election process, when owners retrieve their firearms. However, due to limited storage capacity and no increase in the storage limit from the administration, these shops are facing a dry spell.
Acknowledging the validity of the concerns raised by gun shop owners in the state, Dilip Jawalkar, home secretary of Uttarakhand government, said, “The demands of the gun shop owners are justified. We will definitely review the matter and details will be sought from the districts to assess the actual situation. Following the assessment, a decision will be taken soon to resolve their grievances.”
