A saga of courage and protest: a vigilante's crusade against gendered violence

Throughout history, patriarchal codes of conduct have been well-entrenched, and unfortunately women are expected to be compliant actors. Most are willing performers, but some aspire to defy. What happens when these diktats are challenged, and new norms are practised? Sampat Pal, a marginalised woman from rural India dared to unhinge the shackles and establish an alternate space, taking recourse to vigilante-activism to combat gendered violence. The narrative evolves around her life story, a microcosm of the agenda envisioned by her "Gulabi (pink) Gang". Dressed in pink-coloured saris, ostensibly reflecting softness, warmth and compassion, the gang exemplifies everything that colour pink is not. Looking through the lenses of gender, agency, and identity, we analyse Pal's story as she charts a new definition of "womanhood".