Lathi (stick)

The lathi (in Hindi/Nepali: लाठी, Tamil: லத்தி, Bengali: লাঠি, Urdu: لاٹھی, Sinhalese: ලති) is a bamboo stick used by the police in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It has been used in mainland Indian subcontinent since the Mughal Empire,^[1] though its use against protesters during the British Raj and since is what the lathi is commonly associated with today.^[2]

Indian police officer with a lathi stick.

The lathi can measure from 60 cm (~23.6 in) to more than a metre (~39.4 in) in length. One end can, at times, have a metal point. Lathis are the most commonly used crowd control weapon in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and are used to lathi-charge mobs and rioters.^[3]