‘Celebratory firing even with licensed guns a criminal offence’

PATNA: There is no respite from deaths due to celebratory firing in the state. The menace, which was earlier restricted to marriages, has not spared even birthday functions now.
In a bid to curb this menace, the Centre had amended The Arms Act in December 2019 and made celebratory firing even with licensed guns at public gatherings, religious places, marriage or other functions a criminal offence attracting two years’ imprisonment and fine. But this information could not be properly publicised due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Before this amendment, the Union ministry of home affairs had issued a detailed direction to all states based on which the Bihar home department had directed all DMs and SPs on February 14, 2019 to take stern action against those indulging in celebratory firing or public brandishing of weapons.
However, despite the government’s tough stand, the menace continues unabated in the state. One Vicky Kumar (24) was killed in celebratory firing at a birthday function at Pirpa under the Ram Krishna Nagar police station area in Patna in the wee hours of Friday.
On the same night, a videographer, Ravi Kant Singh (28), was killed and three others were injured in celebratory firing at a ‘tilak’ ceremony at Kadwan village in Rohtas district.
Writer-cum-freelance journalist Pushya Mitra said the Britishers first started firing in air or paying gun salutes to pay respect to kings or landlords.
“Landlords and rich people adopted this practice during British rule in India. Later it spread to other sections of society,” he said, adding people from the new generation would have to come forward to stop this menace.
Sociologist D M Diwakar blamed industrialisation and feudal mentality to display power, especially among upper caste people, for incidents of celebratory firing.
“We must understand the cultural deviation which has come from industrialisation. We used to express happiness by different means in older days, but it has changed now,” he said.
Diwakar said there was a need to spread awareness among people about bad effects of celebratory firing. “Police or court will not be effective much,” he said, adding innocent people, including brides and grooms, were either injured or killed in celebratory firing in the recent past.
Central range IGP Sanjay Singh said government also wants to curb celebratory firing. “The act is treated as criminal offence now even if no one is injured,” he added.