lathicharge means the police tactic of charging a crowd with lathis or batons in order to disperse it. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.
Why “lathicharge” is a great word
LATHICHARGE — [Noun] A police tactic of charging a crowd with lathis, long, heavy sticks, in order to disperse it. From Hindi lāṭhī ("a long, heavy stick, often of bamboo or cane, used as a weapon") + English charge ("a rushing attack"). Unlike a generic "baton charge" or the clinical term "crowd dispersal," a lathicharge carries the specific, historic weight of a particular colonial implement and its enduring grammar of control. It is the dry, percussive crack of seasoned bamboo on bone, the cloud of dust kicked up by fleeing sandals, and the stark geometry of a khaki line advancing into a sea of homespun cloth—order administered not as an idea, but as a bruise.
Etymology
From lathi + charge.
noun
- The police tactic of charging a crowd with lathis or batons in order to disperse it.“The alleged desecration of an ancient temple in Jammu triggered violence as protesters from right-wing groups torched vehicles and threw stones at cops who responded with lathicharge and teargas shells late on Tuesday night.”