Final answer:
A lathi is a long, heavy stick or club used as a weapon or for self-defense, particularly in South Asia.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked what a lathi is. A lathi is c) A long, heavy stick or club that is often used as a weapon, particularly in South Asia. It is not uncommon in rural parts of India for individuals, including guards or police, to carry lathis for maintaining order or self-defense.
The presence of guards with lathis would understandably be intimidating, as they signify authority and the potential for physical force. La·thi. variants or less commonly lathee. ˈlä(ˌ)tē plural -s. : a heavy stick often of bamboo bound with iron used in India as a weapon especially by police (as in dispersing a crowd or quelling a riot).
In South Asia, notably India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, a long bamboo stick, or staff, called lathi is used for crowd control. Some Indian police forces use lathis around 1.5 m (5 ft) long, but in other places lathis are shorter. The term lathi charge is used by the Indian and Pakistani media.