India faces a serious issue of gun violence in many states. Despite having strict laws for firearms, there are many loopholes from where criminals and normal citizens acquire guns. Reasons can be many from portraying themselves as powerful to threatening someone or to protecting and even killing someone. Few surveys have revealed that the numbers of licensed firearms are very low as compared to unlicensed firearms. Government and police have taken severe measures to bring an end to the gun culture, but corruption and politics have given hope to the culprits. States like Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh are the worst affected regions. Art and culture such as the music industry have witnessed the glorification of guns through music videos and lyrics by many singers and artists. Thus, this chapter tries to bring out this situation, reasons and solutions for the prevailing evil form of gun culture in India.
Part of the book: Gun Violence and Prevention - Connections, Cultures, and Consequences [Working title]