the standard Hindi.  Traditionally, lathis were made of bamboo and were some 6 to 8 feet in length with a heavy metal ferrule at their tip.  In the British Raj, the lathi, usually with a brass ferrule, became a police weapon.  Often employed in dispersing recalcitrant assemblies, the lathi charge was the Indian equivalent of a baton charge – albeit rather more daunting.  Lathis of shorter length are still carried by Indian police today.