There is a 'quaint' word – "caning"; the practice is sometimes referred to more
bluntly as lathi charging. “Caning” had the nice ring of the “Raj”, but you may
not agree if you have been at the receiving end of the treatment. A lot of
people wearing khaki in India seem to have the fundamental right to beat up
others using sturdy sticks possibly weighing a kilo, about four feet in length
and approximately an inch in diameter. Authorities seem to have set a limit
of six men for beating a student at a time, because of their concern for the
younger generation.
You see the practice
being liberally used in different parts of India when you turn on TV news. This
is a barbaric practice unworthy of a democracy. I wish that someone would
consider using the public interest litigation route to have our courts civilize
the men in khaki.
I suggest an
alternative way for police to disperse people who have assembled against legal
prohibitory orders by using indelible ink. Color sprayers used during Holi
could be used by the police to spray members of the “mob” with this ink.
Firstly, this will cause consternation because the spray would need to be
removed by multiple washes. Secondly, it would stain the skin as well,
providing proof the person’s involvement in a prohibited assembly. All that
police would have to do would be to catch a few “stained” persons and prosecute
them.
I guess I am not going
to be a very popular inventor! Let me assure you, however, that I publish this only
to save you from having your bones broken by angels in Khaki!
A word about indelible
ink. I don’t think anyone has done research on possible risks of putting this
on people’s skin. The election ink used in India is said to contain silver
nitrate. Before the angels in Khaki adopt the practice suggested above, they
should get some research done to develop an ink that will cause no harm to the
eyes and no permanent harm of any type to the victim. Further, I would hate to see any "indelible" permanently ruin someone's clothes. An ink that does not go when washed in water, but can be removed by dry cleaning would be ideal.
For information on the hazards associated with silver
nitrate, visit
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