The British council, in partnership with UK’s Curve theatre, India’s National council of Performing arts (NCPA) and the Arts Council of England gifted the iconic women vigilante group, the Gulabi Gang with their first theatrical tribute earlier this April. Directed by the award winning Suba Das, the play was also premiered in Britain as a part of the UK-India year of Culture.
Founded in 2006 by Sampat Pal Devi, the Gulabi Gang got their name by the bright pink sarees that their women adorn. Presently it has an army of more than 400,000 women who fight against domestic violence and human rights abuse against women. When 17 year old Sheelu Nishaad was arrested on false charges of theft after being raped by a local politician in 2011, the Gulabi Gang dominated the headlines by organising mass protest for justice. The story of Gulabi Gang is inspirational, with many women who are a part of the group having faced gruelling instances in their lives. Some of them worked all day and faced merciless beatings in the hands of their drunken husbands when they returned home and have been abused incessantly for dowry over years. A huge number of them were forced into child marriages and even a significant number forced to abort girl foetuses. The Gulabi Gang has also faced number of hurdles and their violent front against issues has been strongly discouraged. Pal had also stepped down in 2014 on charges of corruption, but the group is still strongly fighting to establish a better place for women.
The playwriters and director spent three years, understanding the values and actions of the group. According to Suba Das, Pal brought out a different side of the woman image- a fighter with strong resistance and bold confidence. With the play being widely acclaimed for its formidable script and direction, it is our only wish that Gulabi Gang continues to be formidable as before.
