A women’s collective on Saturday urged the Assam government to immediately revoke its decision to issue arms licences to “indigenous people living in sensitive areas” because the move will “undo decades of peace-building” in the state.

At a meeting held in Guwahati on Saturday, the Nari Nagarik Manch unanimously resolved to launch a sustained campaign on the issue.

The collective’s plans include submitting a memorandum to top constitutional authorities, filing a public interest litigation and initiating a coordinated social media outreach against the May 28 cabinet decision of the state government to provide arms licences. The meeting was attended by nearly 30 women.

The state government is claiming that the decision to provide arms licences was based on “long–pending” concerns of those living in remote and vulnerable areas. The government is also setting up a digital portal where eligible people can apply for arms licenses, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said.

However, the move has been opposed by several organisations and Opposition parties on the ground that it was the duty of the administration to ensure the safety and security of the public

The collective observed the move would, among others, would likely trigger “an arms race, increasing gender-based violence, and sparking “civil war-like situations” in a state which has worked for years to reduce the circulation of weapons after prolonged militancy.

It said the government should “focus on strengthening the BSF, police, and border patrols instead of weaponising civilians”, adding the decision “lacks transparency on eligibility criteria, threat assessment, or safeguards, raising fears of targeting specific communities and deepening social polarisation”.