"We aim to empower women, promote education with an emphasis on girls, and stop corruption and domestic violence. But since the administration is against the poor people of our country, we often end up taking matters into our own hands. We first speak to the husband who is beating his wife. If he doesn't understand then we ask his wife to join us while we beat him with lathis. Our missions have a 100 percent success rate."
Sampat Pal Devi, leader of the Gulabi Gang.
more »"We aim to empower women, promote education with an emphasis on girls, and stop corruption and domestic violence. But since the administration is against the poor people of our country, we often end up taking matters into our own hands. We first speak to the husband who is beating his wife. If he doesn't understand then we ask his wife to join us while we beat him with lathis. Our missions have a 100 percent success rate."
Sampat Pal Devi, leader of the Gulabi Gang.
In the badlands of Bundelkhand, one of the poorest parts of Uttar Pradesh, a gang of female vigilantes have sprung up against the oppression of a caste-ridden, feudalistic and male-dominated society. In a part of India where dowry demands and domestic and sexual violence are common, the 10,000-strong Gulabi Gang, so-called for their uniform of shocking pink saris, are fighting, often literally, for equality. Their weapon of choice is the lathi, a traditional Indian fighting stick.
The gang's leader, 47-year-old Sampat Pal Devi, is a spirited woman, undeterred by the forces ranged against her and her army. A barely educated, impoverished mother of five, she has emerged as a messianic figure in her home region.
"The word 'gang' doesn't necessarily denote criminals," she told Sanjit Das. "It can also be used to describe a team, a crew. We are a gang for justice. In rallies and protests outside our villages, especially in crowded cities, our members used to get lost in the rush. We decided to dress in a single colour, which would be easy to identify. We didn't want to be associated with other colours as they had associations with political or religious groups. We settled on pink, the colour of life. It's good. It makes the administration wary of us."
« less
