Oddity Central

Oddity Central

The Gulabi Gang – India’s Pink-Wearing Female Vigilantes

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 03:27 AM PST


The women of Bundelkhand, in Uttar Pradesh, India, do not need superheroes to come to their rescue. They depend on a group of their own clan – The Gulabi Gang – during times of distress. The gang members are vigilantes who go above and beyond the duties of a local neighborhood crime watch. Their chosen uniform – a strikingly pink sari. Their weapon of choice – the Lathi, a traditional Indian fighting stick. Gender – female only.

In fact, the Gulabi Gang (Gulabi: the color of pink rose), consists of over 10,000 women. And they are a blessing in disguise for many in the overpopulated Bundelkhand region, where people wage daily wars against a corrupt law-enforcement system, infertile lands and the oppressive system of caste hierarchy. But what Bundelkhand is most infamous for is banditry. Disputes are frequently settled by manner of bullets. The Bandit Queen of India, Phoolan Devi, once carried out her operations in the very same region. She would lead her bandits and robbers to seek a vicious retribution, violently attacking the upper-caste villagers. It is in this harsh atmosphere, where life is nothing short of brutal, that the Gulabi Gang has been carrying out its operations for the past two years.

In its short existence, the gang already faces charges of rioting, attacking government officials, unlawful assembly, and obstructing the course of justice. But the villagers feel nothing but gratitude for the services rendered by the gang. Their leader, 47-year-old Sampat Pal Devi, is often compared to the legendary Indian figure, Rani Laxmibai, Queen of Jhansi. The Gulabi Gang is fully supported by locals, especially Babloo Mishra, who permits them to use his premises as an office. According to Mishra, "The best thing is that these women will take up anyone's cause as long as it's genuine, not only those of its members." Even so, a majority of women in the gang are dalits (considered the lowest caste, untouchables), and it is for this community that they need to stand up the most.

Photo: Vice

A few months ago, following the rape of a dalit woman by a man of an upper caste in Uttar Pradesh, the police had not even registered the case. Protesting villagers were instead, arrested. The Gulabi Gang rose to the occasion under the guidance of Sampat Pal Devi, storming the police station. They demanded that the villagers be released and a case registered against the offender. When the policeman refused to comply, the gang attacked with their lathis. A high-level enquiry is now underway on this case. However, the most daring exploit that the ladies-in-pink have carried out so far is the hijacking of a truck containing food meant for the poor, but instead being delivered to corrupt officials. It started out when the Gulabi Gang received complaints that a local fair price shop run by the government (just like welfare in the US), had stopped the regular distribution of grains. Sampat Devi and her followers investigated the issue, keeping a close watch on the shop owner. The truck was then intercepted, and evidence provided to the local administration.

 

While the violent exploits of the gang attract media attention, they are not limited to such activities. Sampat Devi says, "The word 'gang' doesn't necessarily denote criminals. It can also be used to describe a team, a crew. We are a gang for justice." Of the reason behind their unique dress code, she says, "In rallies and protests outside our villages, especially in crowded cities, our members used to get lost in the rush. We decided to dress in a single color, which would be easy to identify." They settled on the color pink because it denotes the color of life. Indeed, the gang of stick-yielding women dressed in pink, presents a formidable sight. It's quite evident from pictures that they mean business. Ranging from ages 22 to over 50, the women not only about fight for justice, but also provide employment opportunities to other women in the region.

Sources: Vice, The Guardian

The Gulabi Gang – India’s Pink-Wearing Female Vigilantes was originally posted at OddityCentral.com

Japanese Self-Confessed Geeks Attend Masked Matchmaking Event

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 03:07 AM PST


Japanese geeks, commonly known as “otaku”, too shy to go out and meet a potential date face to face attended a special matchmaking event where everyone wore anime character masks to conceal their identities.

The event called “Ota-konkatsu” took place in Kuki City, north of Tokyo, a “holy place” among anime fans. The city is home to the Washinomiya Shrine, which was a location in the 2007 television adaptation of Kagami Yoshimizu's manga Lucky Star, a very popular anime series, and since then Kuki City has become a sort-of otaku pilgrimage site. Data shows the direct economic effect of Lucky star on the city is estimated to be about 100 million yen (US$1.22 million) over the past five years. So it’s no wonder why this location was selected for an otaku-oriented matchmaking event. Ever since 2009, Japanese geeks have attended matchmaking events in Kuki City, hoping to find like-minded partners, but organizers thought they’d be more successful if participants could get over their excessive shyness. So at this latest even, everyone wore anime masks to conceal their identity.

“I feel this is an easier way to talk to people,” said a 27-year-old woman wearing a rabbit mask, who introduced herself as Jet-Black Wings. ”I wouldn’t be able to do this without this mask. I would feel too embarrassed.” As you can imagine, the whole thing looked like a masked ball for geeks, where fans could celebrate their favorite characters, and try to find Mr/Mrs Right. Participants arrived at different times, so that no one could see their faces before they put on their masks, and didn’t take off their disguise until after the end of the event, and then only if they hit it off with someone. It might sound weird, but attendants liked the idea of meeting someone who liked them for their personality, not their looks.

It cost ¥4000 (about $50) for guys and just ¥1000 (about $12) for women who wanted to take part in this geek matchmaking event, and at least half of them didn’t regret the investment, as organizers reported a 50% coupling success rate.

via Japan Trends

Photos via Mantan

Japanese Self-Confessed Geeks Attend Masked Matchmaking Event was originally posted at OddityCentral.com

Local Council in Serbia Issues Warning That Vampire Is on the Loose

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 01:31 AM PST


Locals in the Bajina Basta municipality, western Serbia, are freaking out after the local council has issued a warning about the famous vampire Sava Savanovic being on the loose and thirsty for blood.

Sava Savanovic is a popular figure of Serbian folklore, known as the first vampire in Serbia. According to legend, he lived in an old watermill on the nearby Rogačica river, where he killed and drank the blood of peasants who came to mill their grains. Scary stories like this are not uncommon, but the people of Zarozje village, where the mill is located, actually believe their local vampire is real. They had no problem living near it, as Savanovic hasn’t hurt any of them for centuries, but now that his home has collapsed, they fear he may take revenge on them. ”People are worried, everybody knows the legend of this vampire and the thought that he is now homeless and looking for somewhere else and possibly other victims is terrifying people. We are all frightened,” mayor Miodrag Vujetic told the press.

The run-down mill was functional until the mid 1950s, when it was bought by the Jagodić family, who later turned it into a tourist attraction. The legend of Sava Savanovic attracted crowds of tourists from all over Serbia, and proved profitable for the local community, only the Jagodić were so frightened by its sharp-fanged inhabitant that they never came near it, not even to perform repairs. The mill collapsed recently, and that’s when everyone started panicking. Garlic sales are booming in Bajina Basta, as locals believe the smell will keep Savanovic at bay, and plans to restore the mill as soon as possible have been set in motion. Unfortunately, with winter just around the corner, repairs will have to wait till spring, so in the meantime the local council has issued a vampire warning and advised people to use garlic and put a Holy Cross in every room of their homes.

Photo: gyula sapi

Mayor Vujetic said he understands why someone who has never lived in the region would laugh at their fears, but made it very clear that none of the locals have any doubt vampires are real.Reported accounts of strange growls, neither animal nor human, coming from the old mill, and of a dark tall individual standing next to it in the dead of night, don’t help matters much, either.

via Nothing to Do with Arbroath

 

Local Council in Serbia Issues Warning That Vampire Is on the Loose was originally posted at OddityCentral.com

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