When former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan started his 26-hour march from Peshawar to Islamabad on May 25, 2022, demanding a date for elections, troops armed with weapons, rubber bullets, shotguns and tear gas were ready to disperse his supporters. But the aftermath of their intervention was unprecedented. Several demonstrators fainted after inhaling tear gas. Scattered cannisters on the streets showed the use of riot control agents, the common one being Ortho-Chlorobenzylidene Malononitrile, known as CS gas.
The CS gas is known to cause a wide range of symptoms impacting the eyes, lungs, skin and also dizziness. In large quantities, it can be lethal. Its use in war is prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention, signed by most countries in 1993. The convention came into effect in 1997, but an exception was allowed to use it for domestic riot control purposes.
Post pandemic, India has been keeping a tighter vigil on the skies, shores and land routes around it to keep toxicity at bay. On May 8, alarm bells rang at the Kattupalli Port near Chennai following the seizure of a Chinese vessel, Hyundai Shanghai. Customs authorities on routine checking found a suspicious consignment on board the ship, which came from Shanghai. Sailing under a Cyprus flag, the Hyundai Shanghai was on its way to Karachi.
The consignment was shipped on April 18 by a Chinese firm, Chengdu Shichen Trading Company Ltd, to a Rawalpindi-based defence supplier, Rohail Enterprises. It was found to be 2,560kg of CS, which is a listed substance under the Wassenaar Arrangement as well. The Wassenaar Arrangement, of which India is a signatory, is an export control regime covering conventional arms as well as dual-use goods and technologies. The consignment, stored in 103 drums, was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 21, 2024-Ausgabe von THE WEEK India.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 21, 2024-Ausgabe von THE WEEK India.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Too Much Sitting Can Accelerate Ageing
SITTING FOR EXTENDED PERIODS can harm the heart and accelerate ageing, even if you are young and get the minimum recommended amount of daily exercise, according to a US study published in the journal PLOS One.
Efficiency and innovation
As health care evolves, professionals must employ innovative methods to refine their skills
Level up
Only 30 per cent of needy patients are able to undergo transplant in India; we need more dedicated transplant centres
HOPE STEMS FROM A CELL
While stem cell therapies have shown success in treating blood disorders, orthopaedic ailments, autoimmune diseases and eye issues, there is hope that they can one day treat patients with heart disease, blindness, Parkinson's, HIV, diabetes and spinal cord injuries
Mind matters
Your mindset can limit or expand your physical ability
Cutting edge
Would you go under the knife if a robot was the one holding it? Or would you say, \"No way, I need a human touch\"? You might have to decide soon because a robot that can imitate skilled human surgeons is already here.
The smallest cut
Minimally invasive surgeries have a bright future, with virtual reality and 3D procedures offering greater precision and AI on the horizon
Signalling a revolution
Canadian scientist and entrepreneur Sachdev Sidhu is focused on bringing cutting-edge antibody engineering to his country of origin
Wellness on demand
Starting as a doctor-patient chat platform, Medibuddy has evolved to be India's largest on-demand, full-stack digital health care platform
HEARING AND VISION LOSS LINKED TO HEART DISEASE AND STROKE
A CHINESE STUDY PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL of the American Heart Association suggests that middle aged and older adults with sensory impairments, specifically hearing and vision loss, have an elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and heart attacks.