A necessary evil

Only substitute for pellet guns is talks

When passions peak, as in the Kashmir Valley after Burhan Wani’s killing, temperance becomes a casualty. The protesting crowds were unmanageable as the pentup anger over the status quo erupted in the form of attempts to raze army and police installations. Security officers might appear blasé now but they had struggled to control the outpouring of frustration when the protests were at their peak. And in this, they thought the best option was to clear the streets by firing pellet guns rather than heavy ammunition that claims a much heavier toll. The greater use of pellet guns has led to a lower death toll than during the 2010 protests when they were not as widely deployed.

But the Valley’s security managers had not accounted for the powerful impact of social media. Images of children, barely out of their teens with bloodshot eyes that may never see again, have obliged the Union government to announce a committee to suggest effective but less lethal forms of crowd control. Even Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti understands that the alternative forms of crowd control being suggested by human rights advocates won't work. That is why on becoming chief minister, she dropped her opposition on security forces using pellet guns. The only less lethal solution than pellet guns is talks.