Justice Verma Committee has said nothing new about self defense. Self defense and arms are basic fundamental as well as human rights. Since self defense is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution, Sections 96 to 106 IPC are flowing from it. Whenever any person is acting in self defense as described from Sections 96 to 106 IPC, is doing nothing but implementing the law with own hands. In this context it would be prudent to read Section 100 IPC and Supreme Court judgement in Darshan Singh vs State Of Punjab. It can be read via this link https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1748156/
‘‘The right of self-defense is the first law of nature; in most governments it has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest possible limits. ... and when the right of the people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction.’’— Saint George Tucker, Judge of the Virginia Supreme Court 1803
‘‘Laws that forbid the carrying of arms... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.’’— Thomas Jefferson's "Commonplace Book," 1774-1776, quoting from On Crimes and Punishment, by criminologist Cesare Beccaria, 1764
"Both the oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of arms." - Aristotle
"Only an armed people can be truly free. Only an unarmed people can ever be enslaved."- Aristotle
Gandhi bemoaned the fact that the British had disarmed India and left passive civil disobedience as the Indians only possibility for fighting British repression. He wrote about this in an article for the “Young India” magazine.
Gandhi advocated non-violence but DID NOT preach cowardice, I quote "I do believe that, where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence... I would rather have India resort to arms in order to defend her honour than that she should, in a cowardly manner, become or remain a helpless witness to her own dishonour", Gandhi goes on further to state "But I believe that nonviolence is infinitely superior to violence, forgiveness is more manly than punishment. Forgiveness adorns a soldier...But abstinence is forgiveness only when there is the power to punish; it is meaningless when it pretends to proceed from a helpless creature...."