New initiative means that people who want a firearms licence need to have a toilet first

As part of an initiative to dissuade people from defecating in the open, authorities in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh, India, have made it compulsory for a person seeking a firearms licence to first prove that they have a toilet at home.

District Collector Tarun Pithode said: “Weapons provide security but so do toilets because crimes against women are committed when they have to go to the fields to relieve themselves.



“If someone can spend Rs 50,000 (£500, $750) on a gun, there’s no reason why you can’t spend Rs 10,000 (£100, $150) on a toilet.” He added that he hoped this would motivate people to build toilets because “some people in rural areas flaunt guns but don’t have a toilet at home”.

An application for a firearms licence will now have to be accompanied by documentary proof or a declaration of a toilet at home. This will then be verified. Only after that verification will the application begin to get processed. Owning a licensed gun is a matter of honour for many people across Madhya Pradesh.