Dangers of Armament and Gun Culture Manipur for many years has been an armed conflict ridden zone.

Heavily armed separatist groups operating in the region have made the government unconcerned about militarizing the region and equally arming itself up to counter the threat. There are presently 15 army battalions and 30 plus militant outfits in this region that is about 22,000 sq.kms in area. This is discounting the police commandos who are heavily armed themselves. 1 Militarization includes the presence of heavily armed policemen or soldiers patrolling streets, military personnel occupying high government posts, military censorship, armed guards in schools and public buildings, armed checkpoints along roads and curfews. Guns are in abundance in this state and the culture this perpetuates and may continue to do so in future is concerning. How does armament affect the society we live in? We can put up a certain denial that having lived in such an environment for long we have come to accept this as a part of our daily lives. Though deep inside, there can be arguable research conducted to prove that such sight of armed personnel induces anxiety and insecurity in our minds. When this can happen to grown-ups imagine the effect it can have on young kids? Quoting from a material gathered from the internet," the excessive militarization of a society leads to a "mental militarization", in which violent responses to social problems become the norm. The highly militarized nature of communities can profoundly colour individuals' perceptions of reality. The dual sense of fear and empowerment that the widespread use of armaments brings to groups and individuals can disrupt rational decision-making processes and destroy perceptions of nonviolent options for conflict resolution. The result is societal brutalization and the collapse of traditional value systems." This is becoming observable in our society too where instances of mob violence, mob justice and aggressive behavior are reported time and again in the newspapers. New political issues also provide a breeding ground for sectarianism on the basis of community. The concern is, even after political dialogues bring an end to the decade long militancy problem and other political issues in the state, will the past events that have shaped our mentality perpetuate an attitude of disregard for human rights and dignity. It would be interesting to know what our younger generations, and older ones too, have imbibed from their experiences living amidst this fear. We still have our hopes alive that when this issue is resolved normalcy, in all aspects of the word, will be restored in the region. Preservation of a social structure and social integration is important not just for community action but for other things like encouraging entrepreneurship. Here is hoping not much damage is done to our society before the conflict comes to an end and the maturity required in dealing with the new world order is bestowed on our coming generation too.