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The Gang The several hundred vigilante women of India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state’s Banda area proudly call themselves the “gulabi gang” (pink gang), which had taken upon it the onus to free the society of corruption. The gang has waged a war against the ‘wrongdoers’, the corrupt government officials and the violent husbands. The Gang shot to the limelight in April 2006 when it hijacked trucks laden with food meant for the poor that was being taken to be sold for profit at the market by corrupt officials. Later, action was taken against the wholesaler.

Formation The gang, based in Banda district, one of the poorest parts of Uttar Pradesh, has got them a name because of its strict dress code, pink sarees and blouses. The women in pink have thrashed men who have abandoned or beaten their wives and unearthed corruption in the distribution of grain to the poor. They have sworn to root out corruption in the police force and deliver ruthless summary justice to anyone believed guilty of domestic violence or sexual abuse. Sampat Pal Devi, a 46 year old woman, leads the “pink gang”. Gang has even unearthed wrongdoing among politicians despite the fact that its members are drawn from the lowest ‘dalit’ caste at the bottom of Indian society.

 Works Members of the Gang always carry a lathi (stick) for protections or to use to beat the wrongdoers. The gang has consistently been both praised and criticized for taking the law into its own hands. Some of the gang members have been hit by a variety of criminal charges. But they remain unrepentant. They already have done some work in combating crime and corruption in the area. Evan the local police favored their style of functioning. They are termed as,” not a gang in the usual sense of the term but as a gang for justice. They have remained away from political parties and NGOs because,” they are always looking for kickbacks when they offer to fund”. It is not only a women’s group but a movement that is against the social injustice, child marriages and corruption.