Phoolan Devi

On Valentine's Day 1981, while the people of Behmai in Uttar Pradesh, India, prepared for a wedding, 18-year-old Phoolan Devi planned her vengeance.
Seven months previously, a lowcaste juvenile gang member in Behmai had been abducted by a rival, mostly highcaste group.
- Devi was imprisoned and raped repeatedly for three weeks.
- She managed to escape with the aid of two of her gang members and a low-caste villager before gathering the rest of her group and returning to the hamlet.
- Her crew picked up 22 of Behmai's male villagers, comprising two of her rapists, and shot each one dead on Devi's instructions.
The Behmai massacre was India's greatest mass execution at the time, prompting a massive manhunt.
The "Bandit Queen" mythology was born.

Devi rose to fame among the lower castes of India, who saw her acts as just punishment for the mistreatment of women there.
Devi was raised in abject poverty and was born on August 10, 1963, into a low-caste household in rural Uttar Pradesh.
At the age of 11, her parents demanded that she wed a guy who was three times her age in return for a cow.
She was ostracized by her parents in 1979 because they thought she was a shame after leaving her violent spouse.
She joined a local gang as the only female dacoit (armed bandit) when she was 16 due to her limited alternatives for surviving.
Devi quickly ascended to become the gang's leader, leading them in scores of raids and highway robberies, as well as attacks on and looting of upper-caste communities and the abduction of wealthy individuals for ransom.
One of her most infamous crimes saw her gang seize and steal a town before giving the items to the needy, further solidifying her reputation as a Robin Hood figure.

Devi managed to escape arrest for two years by hiding among the peasants she had devoted her life to defending.
But in exchange for significantly reduced terms in February 1983, she agreed to turn herself in as well as the surrender of her gang members.
In front of tens of thousands of applauding spectators, Devi was apprehended and eventually charged with 48 offenses, including 30 counts of robbery and abduction.
She remained a ray of hope for the underprivileged and needy for the subsequent 11 years while she was imprisoned while awaiting trial.
In 1994, the allegations against Devi were withdrawn, and she was granted parole.
She entered politics and was chosen to serve as a Member of Parliament (MP).
But on the afternoon of July 25, 2001, she was attacked by three masked men and shot dead.
According to one of her assailants, Phoolan Devi was killed in retaliation for the upper-caste males who were killed during the Behmai massacre.

Criminals convicted of a certain kind of crime may not be eligible to run for public office in several nations.
According to this justification, a person who is unable to fulfill the responsibilities of citizenship should not be allowed to hold office since significant criminal behavior is incompatible with those commitments.
Voters, however, seem to view lawbreakers significantly less favorably than those who do so in the sake of what they think to be the greater benefit of society, according to information that has been gathered.
Nothing stopped Phoolan Devi from standing for office despite being accused of several major crimes, including abduction and banditry.
She had a considerable following since she was a supporter of the lower castes and a heroine to downtrodden women.
She was not, however, universally admired; in fact, many members of higher castes were horrified that she had been given the opportunity to run for office.
With a victory margin of 37,000 votes, she was chosen as a Member of Parliament in the 1996 Indian General Election.
The next year, Devi was demoted, but she won it back in 2001.

She was the leader of the Phoolan Devi gang, which was active in the Chambal ravines from 1975 to 1982
She was convicted of 11 criminal charges including three charges of murder
She was released from jail in 1994 and later served three terms in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament)
Phoolan Devi had a difficult upbringing, growing up in poverty and facing discrimination due to her gender.
Phoolan Devi was an icon of social justice and a symbol of empowerment for women, particularly those from lower castes.
After her release from prison, Phoolan Devi became a symbol of resistance and an advocate for social justice and women's rights.
She worked to pass anti-rape legislation and pushed for the rights of girls and women from lower castes.
Phoolan Devi was seen as a hero by many in India and her legacy continues to inspire people today.
Phoolan Devi's story resonates with many in India, as her life was a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of resilience.
She was an advocate for victims of injustice and a symbol of hope for those who have faced discrimination and oppression.
Her legacy continues to be a source of inspiration for many in India and around the world.

1890s: In order to defend against bandits, the Big Swords Society is established in northern China.
1868: Three members of the Reno Gang are killed when vigilantes raid a prison in New Albany, Indiana, where they had just robbed a train.
1980s: El Salvador is the birthplace of the Sombra Negra (Black Shadow) gang, which kills criminals and gang members.
2013: In Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, a woman who calls herself "Diana, Huntress of Bus Drivers," kills two people in retaliation for supposed murders and rapes that the city's bus drivers are accused of committing.

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