Though the Defence Research Development Organisation has a less lethal bullet which is a sort of improvement pellets, there can be again a cry or roar whenever the security forces open fire There is a new alternative to the pellets, the infamous "non-lethal weapon" being used to disperse protesters in Kashmir. Once again crowds will surface during the encounters between militants and security forces and during the burial of slain militants. And again rubber bullets could be used to disperse the crowd. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a less lethal plastic bullet. The use of pellets as a crowd control measure had injured thousands and hundreds were blinded in the five month long unrest in the aftermath of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani's killing on July 8, 2016.
After huge uproar over blinding of people by use of pellet guns by forces, the Ministry of Home Affairs sought a quick and effective solution and the DRDO lab came up with this "indigenous development." "The plastic bullet can be fired from the AK-47 rifles and has been deployed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police," the DRDO said. It is less damaging than imported rubber bullets and was showcased on the sidelines of the ongoing Indian Science Congress recently.
"A solution was needed for the notorious pellet gun," said Manjit Singh, Director, Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, one of the major laboratories of the DRDO, in Chandigarh.
He said the plastic bullet is an effective way to control crowds and one lakh bullets have already been supplied to the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The plastic bullet doesn't use lead so there is no fear of poisoning. Dr Satheesh Reddy, Chairman, Defence Research and Development Organisation, has said that plastic bullet causes superficial injury when fired from a distance of 50 metre. It is made of nylon and is 500 times less injurious. The bullet head is fairly blunt and weighs much less and hence it can't penetrate the body to injure organs. The plastic bullet doesn't use lead so there is no fear of poisoning. When fired, it sounds like normal firing so the psychological effect is the same. The plastic bullet can be fired from standard weapons, only the magazine is different, which gives the security personnel ground versatility in securing his locations. |
