Pink Saris

On Wednesday, October 3^rd, 2012, I went to go see a documentary on a woman named Sampat Pal Devi. Pal Devi is the leader of the “Pink Gang”. In this gang, she brings a certain type of justice to the women on the streets of Uttar Pradesh, India. Pal Devi’s main goal in this documentary was to fight for women (VERY young women) who have been victims of violence in their families.

In India, Pal Devi is considered an activist that woman would come too if they have problems concerning families or marriage abuse. Wherever she is called, she would go and help out the best she can. In her home, she cares for a large amount of women who needed to be rescued from their circumstances.

One thing I noticed from the movie is that obviously, Pal Devi is a very stubborn, strong minded person, who knows what she is talking about. She suffered a child marriage (which many girls are forced into), yet still came out on her own, defending for herself. She has had a very hard youth, which made her even stronger. However, Pal Devi’s boyfriend had confronted her at one point in the movie. He said “your changing and I don’t like it. If you want to be famous, go ahead, leave me out of it. I like being an ant.” After he said this, Pal Devi became very defensive, saying she doesn’t need him; that he doesn’t do anything for her. Later on in the movie, Pal Devi is in tears saying “it’ll [hurt] me if he leaves.” In my personal opinion, Pal Devi resentment to men has put up a wall for her personal relationship.

Conclusion:

Pal Devi challenges the normal traditional way of India, the traditions that state that women are under the control of their fathers, and then their husbands when married.  From my friends Noelle’s blog: “The group stands behind Sampat, as she goes to visit the abusive husbands and beats them with bamboo sticks or lathis, until they promise to stop abusing their wives. The group has also worked very hard to stop child marriages (families marrying their daughters before the age of 18), protest dowry (the money or goods a woman brings to the marriage) and has taught women how to read and write.” This was a very good documentary that I believe any people should see.

Happy Watching!