Lathi (stick)

Last updated October 31, 2025

The lathi 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]

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]

References

↑ Shahane, Girish (2020-06-11). "Opinion | Is the lathi a colonial invention?". mint. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
↑ "Agitation against minor's death, police lathicharge protesters". The Times of India. 27 July 2010.

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[1] Shahane, Girish (2020-06-11). "Opinion | Is the lathi a colonial invention?". mint. Retrieved 2023-12-30.

[2] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[3] "Agitation against minor's death, police lathicharge protesters". The Times of India. 27 July 2010.

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