Tactics and Accomplishments

 

The tactics that the Gulabi Gang uses are simple and straight to the point. The woman would seek out abusers and calmly talk to them and try to persuade them to not abuse their wives anymore. If they refused to listen, they would come back in greater numbers and with big bamboo sticks called lathis and ‘persuade’ them not to be abusive any longer. They take action whenever women need help. For example, in 2008 the Gulabi Gang raided an electricity office because the managers were demanding bribes and sexual favors in order for the power to be turned back on. They ‘roughed up’ the managers of the office and within an hour, the power was back on. They not only fight for groups, but also for the individual. The gang heard about a woman who had been thrown out of her house by her husband. They decided they would march to that man’s house and demand an explanation and 20,000 rupees in order for the women who was thrown out to survive. Some sections of the Gulabi Gang have taken a lot more forceful acts. (2012 Khan)

 

In 2004, a mob women hacked a serial rapist and murdered him to death after the court failed to convict him of his deeds. In response, the hundreds of women all pleaded guilty and made it impossible for a trial to happen. The Gulabi Gang views the individual just as important as the group.

 

There are countless other acts the Gulabi Gang has performed in order to help the community. The women talked about how alcoholism is a major problem with the men in their town. The women all got together and took over the local brewery/bar. They held down all of the drunken men and put chili powder in their mouths to help persuade them not to drink anymore. In 2007, the Gang became detectives. There was a major food shortage in their small town. They were getting aid and could not understand where all the food they were supposed to be getting went. The women got together and discovered that the people in charge of dispending the food out to people were corrupt and selling the food to the black market. The women collected all of the evidence and brought the people to justice. (Biswas, 2007)