Recently India has seen an increase in terrorism attacks, causing the citizens looking for ways to protect themselves- something that the strict gun laws impede.

The Washington Post reports that the government is attempting to pass stricter gun laws, not distinguishing between legal and illegal possession to blame for the spread of violence.

Although India’s 1959 Arms Act gives citizens the legal right to own and carry guns, it is not a right enshrined in the country’s constitution. Getting a license is a cumbersome process, and guns cannot be bought over the counter — requirements that gun owners describe as hangovers from the colonial past, when the British rulers disarmed their Indian subjects to head off rebellion.

In December, the Ministry of Home Affairs proposed several amendments to the Arms Act that would make it even harder to acquire a gun license, restrict the number of people eligible for nationwide licenses and curtail the amount of ammunition a gun owner can amass.

An official said that the ministry has called for public input. But in the meantime, the proposals have given rise to a nascent gun rights movement modeled on the strategies of the United States’ National Rifle Association and echoing its rhetoric of civil rights, dignity and self-protection.

Corresponding with the argument in the United States, citizens in India are arguing that possession of legal weapons is  a benefit for fighting crime, and everyone should be given the choice to protect themselves.