“I realised that if I could have this kind of control over women then I could get them out of the clutches of their husbands,” Pal says, narrowing her eyes. There is not the faintest hint of a smile on her lips.
“我意识到，既然我能够带领这么多女人，我也能把她们从丈夫的控制下解救出来，”帕尔眯着眼睛说道，嘴角不带一丝笑意。
Pal is difficult company. Those not showing her the utmost respect get crude abuse. Yet in a place where expectation of female restraint is so faithfully observed, only someone as 25)irascible as Pal could defy it. I meet her husband in the couple’s home, which is built in a 26)ditch with plastic sheeting for a roof. He is mute and utterly obedient to her every order. Later, an astonishing role reversal takes place as half a dozen loyal and obedient male 27)hangers-on are sent running at the snap of her fingers to fetch us tea and 28)guavas.
帕尔是个难以相处的人。任何对她不够尊敬的人都将受到严厉的惩罚。然而，在这个信奉女性要绝对顺从克制的地方，只有像帕尔这样个性强硬的人才敢于反抗传统。我在她家见过她丈夫。他们的家建在一个山沟里，屋顶用塑料布盖成。帕尔的丈夫沉默寡言，对妻子言听计从。后来，我目睹了更惊人的形势大逆转：帕尔打个响指，六七个忠诚的男随从就乖乖地去沏茶倒水，端上番石榴招待客人。
To them, Pal is someone who can defend the weak, which, in the badlands of Bundelkhand, is rare indeed. Although 80% of the gang’s actions are on behalf of women, they are increasingly called upon by men. When 7,000 Banda farmers decided to take to the streets to demand compensation for failed crops earlier this month, they asked the Gulabi Gang to be there.
在这些男人看来，帕尔能够捍卫弱小，她这样的人在本德尔坎德区这块荒芜的地方实属罕见。虽然粉红帮80%的行动都是代表女性实行的，她们也得到了越来越多的男性的支持。这个月初，当7000名班达农民决定上街抗议，要求政府赔偿坏掉的作物时，他们也邀请粉红帮参加。
The gang’s challenge to the 29)throttling grip of male authority has brought new confidence—and dangers—to its members. I meet Radha, 40, the leader of the 30)ambush on the electricity office, walking with a friend in the market. “Before I joined the gang I was in 31)purdah and never went out of the house,” she says. “Now I’ve tackled ministers and officials and I’ve done away with my shyness—and the veil.” Others have been less fortunate. A few days before I arrive in Banda, one of the gang’s youngest members, a 14-year-old girl, had been attacked with a 32)sickle as she went for her morning 33)ablutions in the fields. She had put up a fight when a 16-year-old neighbour tried to rape her.
粉红帮对男权控制的挑战给其成员带来了新的自信，也带来了危险。一天我遇见了40岁的拉达，当时她正和一个朋友逛街。她就是率众冲击电力局的带头人。“在加入粉红帮之前，我一直戴着面纱，从未走出过房屋半步，”她说，“现在我对付过政府官员，我不再害羞，并扔掉了面纱。”但其他人就没有这么幸运了。在我抵达班达的前几天，粉红帮的一位最小的成员，一个年仅14岁的女孩在清晨去野外做洗礼时被镰刀袭击。一个16岁的邻居企图强奸她，而她在奋力反抗中受伤了。
Meanwhile, Pal herself is in danger of being criminalised. Following a complaint by the police, she is waiting to hear if she will be formally charged with 11 offences, including unlawful assembly, rioting, attacking a government employee and obstructing an officer in the discharge of duty. “To face down men in this part of the world, you have to use force,” Pal says. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I have faith that justice will prevail.”
与此同时，帕尔本人也面临着被抓进监狱的危险。当地警方提出控诉，她可能面临11项正式指控，包括非法集会、暴乱、袭击政府雇员、妨碍公务等。“在这个地方，要想挑战男人就必须使用武力，”帕尔说，“我没有做错任何事。我相信正义能得到伸张。”
