Gulabi gang
Encyclopedia
The Gulabi gang is a group of women vigilante
s and activists originally from Banda
in Bundelkhand
district, Uttar Pradesh
, India
, but reported to be active across North India as of 2010. It is named after the pink sari
s worn by its members.
The gang was founded in 2006 by Sampat Pal Devi
, a mother of five and former government health worker (and a former child bride), as a response to widespread domestic abuse and other violence against women
. Gulabis visit abusive husbands and beat them up with laathis (bamboo sticks) unless they stop abusing their wives. In 2008, they stormed an electricity office in Banda district
and forced officials to turn back the power they had cut in order to extract bribes. They have also stopped child marriage
s and protested dowry
and female illiteracy.
The group, which the Indian media portray positively, was reported to have 20,000 members as of 2008, as well as a chapter in Paris
, France.
A movie called "Pink Saris" has been made about them, directed by Kim Longinotto and premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in 2010 .
In January 2011, the gulabi gang helped a girl who had been raped by Purushottam Naresh, the local MLA from the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party
. When the girl went to file rape charges, she was arrested under trumped up charges. The girl's father approached the Gulabi Gang for help; eventually the MLA was arrested.
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
s and activists originally from Banda
Banda
-People:*Banda people, an ethnic group of the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Sudan*Rupiah Banda, President of Zambia*Hastings Banda, former President of Malawi...
in Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand anciently known as Chedi Kingdom is a geographic region of central India...
district, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, but reported to be active across North India as of 2010. It is named after the pink sari
Sari
A sari or sareeThe name of the garment in various regional languages include: , , , , , , , , , , , , , is a strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal,...
s worn by its members.
The gang was founded in 2006 by Sampat Pal Devi
Sampat Pal Devi
Sampat Devi Pal is the founder and leader of a group of women vigilantes in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state's Banda District, called the "gulabi gang" or "pink gang"—so named because many of them wear a uniform of a pink sari....
, a mother of five and former government health worker (and a former child bride), as a response to widespread domestic abuse and other violence against women
Violence against women
Violence against women is a technical term used to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women...
. Gulabis visit abusive husbands and beat them up with laathis (bamboo sticks) unless they stop abusing their wives. In 2008, they stormed an electricity office in Banda district
Banda District
Banda district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Banda is the district headquarters. It is a part of Chitrakoot Division.Banda is famous for its Shajar stone, used for making jewellery, and the historically and architecturally significant sites Khajuraho and Kalinjar. Khajuraho is...
and forced officials to turn back the power they had cut in order to extract bribes. They have also stopped child marriage
Child marriage
Child marriage and child betrothal customs occur in various times and places, whereby children are given in matrimony - before marriageable age as defined by the commentator and often before puberty. Today such customs are fairly widespread in parts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America: in...
s and protested dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
and female illiteracy.
The group, which the Indian media portray positively, was reported to have 20,000 members as of 2008, as well as a chapter in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France.
A movie called "Pink Saris" has been made about them, directed by Kim Longinotto and premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in 2010 .
In January 2011, the gulabi gang helped a girl who had been raped by Purushottam Naresh, the local MLA from the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party
Bahujan Samaj Party
The Bahujan Samaj Party is a centrist national political party in India with socialist leanings. It was formed to chiefly represent Bahujans , referring to people from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Castes as well as Buddhists. The party claims to be inspired by the...
. When the girl went to file rape charges, she was arrested under trumped up charges. The girl's father approached the Gulabi Gang for help; eventually the MLA was arrested.