A FLUX OF PINK INDIANS - PART 1

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY SANJIT DAS

The Bundelkhand is one of the poorest parts of the Uttar Pradesh region of northern India. It’s also one of the most populated areas of an already hugely overpopulated country. The inhabitants of Bundelkhand face a daily struggle for survival as they cope with infertile land, a corrupt judicial system, and India’s oppressive, outdated caste hierarchy. It’s a lot of fun. And this might not come as a surprise to you, but let’s say out loud right now that India is also not exactly a haven for equal rights for women. Domestic violence and general second-class citizenship for females is the way it goes around here.

In the midst of this plight, a group of vigilantes who call themselves the Gulabi Gang (gulabi means “pink”) is fighting, often literally, for equality. The gang is made up of over 10,000 women, all of whom wear the Gulabi uniform of pink saris. They specialize in the lathi, a traditional Indian fighting stick. Does this sound too good to be true? We thought so too until we went there and met them for ourselves. These amazing women are totally for real and could totally break your knees with one swing of their battle poles.



Founded only two years ago, the gang already faces numerous charges of unlawful assembly, rioting, attacking a government official, and obstructing the course of justice. Nevertheless the 47-year-old leader of the Gulabi Gang, Sampat Pal Devi, is a spirited woman, undeterred by the charges against her and her army. A barely educated, impoverished mother of five, Sampat Devi has emerged as a messianic figure in her home region

“The word ‘gang’ doesn’t necessarily denote criminals,” she told us. “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 color, which would be easy to identify. We didn’t want to be associated with other colors as they had associations with political or religious groups. We settled on pink, the color of life. It’s good. It makes the administration wary of us.”



The caste system looms over India like a dark cloud. Most of the gang members not only come from a poor background but are also from the lowest caste, the dalit (untouchables). A few months ago in Uttar Pradesh, when a dalit woman was raped by an upper-caste man, the case wasn’t even registered by the police. When the villagers protested, they were arrested and taken into custody. The Gulabi Gang, led by Sampat Devi, stormed the police station demanding the release of the arrested villagers and the registration of the case against the rapist. They physically attacked a policeman when he refused to comply. A high-level inquiry is still being carried out about this incident.

In June of last year, the Gulabis accomplished their biggest triumph. After receiving complaints that a government-run fair-price shop (similar to welfare in the US) in Attara was not giving out grain or food as it should have been, Sampat Devi and her gang decided to keep a covert watch over the shop owner. The gang intercepted two truckloads laden with Below Poverty Line-designated grain on their way to the open market. Armed with this evidence, the gang members pressured the local administration to seize the grain and hand over the shop owner to the police, but again the case wasn’t even registered. The angry gang members attacked and assaulted one of the police officers. Though no formal complaint has been made, the incident immensely bolstered the credibility of the gang in the region.




Some members of the local community compare Sampat Devi to the legendary Queen of Jhansi, Laxmibai. They show their gratitude by supporting the gang. Babloo Mishra allows the gang to use his premises for an office. “The best thing is that these women will take up anyone’s cause as long as it’s genuine, not only those of its members,” he told me. Though people like Mishra help, the gang needs proper funding to set up small-scale industry in order to provide employment for the local villagers. Sampat Devi dreams of running a small fabric-production business for women in the region but the shortage of funds is a huge obstruction in realizing her dreams.

A great deal needs to be done in the region, and people like Sampat Devi are making a huge difference. Although the cases against the gang stem from the occasions when mob power escalated into illegal activity, for Sampat Devi and her gang’s members, it is not about breaking rules. It is about standing up and fighting for your rights.


TO BE CONTINUED
A FLUX OF PINK INDIANS | 1 | 2 | 3 |

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