India reportedly has about 40 million guns in circulation (a modest number compared to its 1 billion-plus population) -- but even so, the country ranks second in the world behind the United States in terms of gun ownership. However, India has strict gun control laws, and getting licenses for weapons is very difficult -- which means that most of the country's pistols and revolvers are owned illegally.
Dr. Harveen Kaur Sidhu, an affluent 33-year-old woman who lives in Chandigarh, Punjab, explained to the Guardian why she carries a revolver in her pocketbook.
"I don't have faith in the police to protect me," she said. "There are so many attacks on women these days. It's everybody's right to defend themselves. I think all women who are vulnerable should be carrying guns."
