The first time I learnt of Sampat Pal and her famed Gulabi Gang was through one of those innumerable Facebook posts that flood my screen. Ever since I read about the group and their resorting to often-subtle-at-times-abrasive methods of vigilantism, I felt curious to know more. So, at the first opportunity available in the form of a book in sale at Landmark, I lunged at it. I can say that I am not disappointed.
Sampat Pal hails from Uttar Pradesh, from one of those innumerable low-caste clans. As such, she had gone through all the troubles one might expect in this background – caste differences, illiteracy, hatred towards the girl child, childhood marriage, lack of understanding from in-laws, oppression from the high-caste Brahmins of her area, and an indifferent government.
She is a woman who had stood through all these travails to establish herself as a sole solace for many of the oppressed women, and at times even men, who go through troubles akin to hers. What started as a simple fight against caste-based oppressive treatment, turned out to be a fight against ill-treatment of daughters-in-law, corrupt government employees that fail to perform their duties, corruption in the public distribution system and lack of implementation of the government welfare schemes.
She comes across as a fire-brand social activist who resorts to not-so-subtle tactics to send her message across – like the time when she slapped a Brahmin in her village that beat up a lower class person, or her slapping a cop when he tried to arrest her companion for no reason, or even the time when a corrupt government official as well as a police constable were beaten to pulp by her gang for attacking them.
She claims that she has produced results with her methods often and the spreading of her fame across the globe is only proof enough for the same. While you may question whether she is right or wrong about her methods, I humbly feel that as long as she manages to produce the good results her methods are well justified.
But all isn’t well and pink – forgive the pun here – about her. For one, she comes across as a paranoid, domineering, over-ambitious and belligerent personality. She herself confesses that she does not trust anyone and has no close confidante to share her emotions or inner feelings. Also, she does not do these things in an organized manner – for example, her group itself is not registered anywhere and does not have proper data of its members. Her domineering attitude becomes evident in the way she describes others and talks about others. With a fling at MP elections and her ambitions seeping through her words, to attain power and position so that she can act better, prove that she is not entirely beyond all such things that eventually catch up with any activist.
She never shies away from any single opportunity to compare herself with some of the great leaders of this country – B.R.Ambedkar (finds him inadequate), Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi (says the queen spilt the blood of many men while she didn’t resort to such gory methods), Mahatma Gandhi (compares her work with that of Gandhi). While she may be justified in seeking recognition and glory for her work, I think such comparisons are a little too far-fetched.
Also, I found one thing to be pretty annoying – her constant bashing of men. In her eyes, all the men are absurd, selfish and oppressive. I wonder why does every female worthy of note in this country resorts to bashing up men and their character to justify her own achievements. This woman does not even wince when blasting her husband or her father or even her own ‘Babuji’, the social activist who organized her and made her what she is today. She easily forgets all the contributions that men had made in her life – her uncle who sent her to school against prevailing sentiments, her husband who after initial reluctance agrees to let her do what she wanted, her activist companion ‘Babuji’ who put her in limelight with his organizing skills, or those innumerable unnamed men that support the Gulabi Gang during its processions and demonstrations.
There are some moments of absurdity in her attitude as well – when she says that though her work is as good as that of Gandhi, her face will never get to feature in the currency notes of the country or when she says that she will pray (!) to the Statue of Liberty’s replica in Paris for the liberation of all the women.
End of the day, Sampat Pal is a worthy social activist who has her own ways and methods of tackling the issues in the world around her and emerges victorious, all the while grappling with her own weaknesses, faulty traits and prejudices. You can find so many wrongs with her, but you ought to give it to her for courage and sense of dedication for the welfare of others. We need to recognize and bring to light all such activists from the dark nooks and corners of our country. She says that it is only through the foreign media that she might gain recognition for her work in this country. Rightly so!
Ashok Krishna
Sampat Pal hails from Uttar Pradesh, from one of those innumerable low-caste clans. As such, she had gone through all the troubles one might expect in this background – caste differences, illiteracy, hatred towards the girl child, childhood marriage, lack of understanding from in-laws, oppression from the high-caste Brahmins of her area, and an indifferent government.
She is a woman who had stood through all these travails to establish herself as a sole solace for many of the oppressed women, and at times even men, who go through troubles akin to hers. What started as a simple fight against caste-based oppressive treatment, turned out to be a fight against ill-treatment of daughters-in-law, corrupt government employees that fail to perform their duties, corruption in the public distribution system and lack of implementation of the government welfare schemes.
She comes across as a fire-brand social activist who resorts to not-so-subtle tactics to send her message across – like the time when she slapped a Brahmin in her village that beat up a lower class person, or her slapping a cop when he tried to arrest her companion for no reason, or even the time when a corrupt government official as well as a police constable were beaten to pulp by her gang for attacking them.
She claims that she has produced results with her methods often and the spreading of her fame across the globe is only proof enough for the same. While you may question whether she is right or wrong about her methods, I humbly feel that as long as she manages to produce the good results her methods are well justified.
But all isn’t well and pink – forgive the pun here – about her. For one, she comes across as a paranoid, domineering, over-ambitious and belligerent personality. She herself confesses that she does not trust anyone and has no close confidante to share her emotions or inner feelings. Also, she does not do these things in an organized manner – for example, her group itself is not registered anywhere and does not have proper data of its members. Her domineering attitude becomes evident in the way she describes others and talks about others. With a fling at MP elections and her ambitions seeping through her words, to attain power and position so that she can act better, prove that she is not entirely beyond all such things that eventually catch up with any activist.
She never shies away from any single opportunity to compare herself with some of the great leaders of this country – B.R.Ambedkar (finds him inadequate), Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi (says the queen spilt the blood of many men while she didn’t resort to such gory methods), Mahatma Gandhi (compares her work with that of Gandhi). While she may be justified in seeking recognition and glory for her work, I think such comparisons are a little too far-fetched.
Also, I found one thing to be pretty annoying – her constant bashing of men. In her eyes, all the men are absurd, selfish and oppressive. I wonder why does every female worthy of note in this country resorts to bashing up men and their character to justify her own achievements. This woman does not even wince when blasting her husband or her father or even her own ‘Babuji’, the social activist who organized her and made her what she is today. She easily forgets all the contributions that men had made in her life – her uncle who sent her to school against prevailing sentiments, her husband who after initial reluctance agrees to let her do what she wanted, her activist companion ‘Babuji’ who put her in limelight with his organizing skills, or those innumerable unnamed men that support the Gulabi Gang during its processions and demonstrations.
There are some moments of absurdity in her attitude as well – when she says that though her work is as good as that of Gandhi, her face will never get to feature in the currency notes of the country or when she says that she will pray (!) to the Statue of Liberty’s replica in Paris for the liberation of all the women.
End of the day, Sampat Pal is a worthy social activist who has her own ways and methods of tackling the issues in the world around her and emerges victorious, all the while grappling with her own weaknesses, faulty traits and prejudices. You can find so many wrongs with her, but you ought to give it to her for courage and sense of dedication for the welfare of others. We need to recognize and bring to light all such activists from the dark nooks and corners of our country. She says that it is only through the foreign media that she might gain recognition for her work in this country. Rightly so!
Ashok Krishna
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