Vigilante Justice in India - Sampat Pal Devi

International Women's Day is held every year on March 8th, and this year The Guardian put out a list of the "Top 100 Women". They range from Lady Gaga to Hawa Abdi. The women on the list have achieved success in their own rights, but have also helped women as a whole. One woman: Sampat Pal Devi (shown above) caught my eye.

Devi is the leader of an all women's vigilante fighting force in the province of Uttar Pradesh, called the Gulabi Gang (translated as the pink gang, for the pink saris they wear). Armed with sticks, they have stormed police stations when they have refused to register complaints about violence against women, attacked men that have abused their wives, unearthed corruption in distributions of grain to the poor, stopped child marriages, and encouraged girls to go to school. Devi is a controversial character, and she has many criminal charges against her. However, she continues to travel around India on a rusty bicycle recruiting new members. With 20,000 members throughout India, with that number growing every day, Devi and the members of the Gulabi Gang are a powerful force.

So, is vigilante justice a suitable alternative to state sponsored justice? Devi and her gang have taken justice into their own hands because they believe that the state is not doing a good enough job to protect women. The danger would be that in an ideal state run justice force there are rules to prevent innocent people from getting hurt or convicted for something they did not do. Vigilante justice can easy descend to a place where innocent people do get hurt. Also, in Devi's version of justice an "eye for an eye" is implemented, and that can also get out of hand. On the other hand, many women in Uttar Pradesh and throughout India do not have any protection from their husbands or other men, so Gulabi Gang provides that. They also seem to have a positive impact on their communities. So, although vigilante justice can be misused it seems to work well for Devi and the Gulabi Gang.

What do you think?