Agencies
Srinagar, Sept 6: Shoot not to kill but only to injure or stun protesters into inaction. This is the new watchword for the troopers involved with protesters in Kashmir after 65 civilians died in firing in the past three months.
Over the past three weeks, the security forces armed themselves with several “non-lethal weapons”, including pump-action guns, Taser guns and pepper guns. “They have drastically brought down the fatal casualties,” CRPF spokesman P. Tripathi said.
Doctors admit that fatalities have fallen in the past 15-20 days but say the pump-action guns cannot be called “non-lethal” because they too can kill.
Tripathi said the pump-action guns fire 100 small metal pellets in one shot. “We also use rubber and plastic pellets, fired from different weapons.”
He said the pepper guns “are still under trial with the CRPF and the police, and may be used (soon)”.
Pepper guns fire three small pepper balls in one shot, which burst and cause irritation, suffocation and sneezing. A gun can hold 80 balls that can be fired continuously.
The CRPF is yet to receive the Tasers but the police already have them. “It’s a small pistol-type weapon. When the trigger is pressed, it releases 900 volts of current, immobilising a protester,” a police officer said.
“Since we began using these weapons a few weeks ago, the deaths have gone down. But pellets can be dangerous if fired at close range, and two youths died recently after being shot with pump-action guns. We have asked the Centre for light ammunition for these guns so that deaths can be avoided altogether.”
A doctor at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences said: “Taser and pepper guns can be non-lethal but that is not true of pellets. They (troopers) are raining pellets and, at times, a person is hit at 10 places. If vital organs like the heart or lungs are hit, the victims are very likely to die. It becomes very difficult for us to operate on such patients.”
Police sources said the new weapons would not put the older, conventional firearms out of business. “There have been times when bullets were used,” an officer said.
Tripathi claimed his men use bullets only in self-defence. “We fire only when the lives of our personnel are threatened,” he said.
