The big story of the little robber Devi (9 photos)

In moments of sadness, do you feel like life has failed? All this is nonsense: try being born a girl in India, and even in one from the lower castes. And all the problems will seem no more than a minute weakness.





Phoolan Devi was born in 1963 just in the caste Mallah boatmen. She has no prospects of living a contented life was, but the Indian woman managed to become famous, albeit for a specific way.



In youth

From childhood, the baby had a cool disposition: at the age She defended her favorite tree for 11 years and did not allow her uncle, the head of the family clan to cut him down by staging a sit-in with his girlfriends.

Rebellion on the part of girls was not welcomed. And on At the family council, the cousin suggested marrying off the upstart. The groom has been found fast. True, he was 20 years older, but who cares when the prospect of replenishing the household looms on the horizon for the bride's family cow and great?

Thus began the personal hell of a 12-year-old teenager, whom was beaten and raped by the newly-made husband - an adult man who was over 30. The country followed the path of progress, and Phoolan ran under the roof home, sobbing in pain. But her “loving” relatives invariably returned her to my husband.

As a result, he also got tired of constant escapes. And he returned the rebellious wife to her father's house. What the cousin didn’t like was himself, that he had a hand in getting rid of his little sister.

The guy contacted Baba Gujar, the local gang leader and offered his sister as a girl for carnal pleasures. After a few days, the bandits stole the rebel from her home and began to tame her by methodical beatings and violence. The body suffered, but the girl’s spirit was broken by them failed. The leader's assistant, Vikram Mallah, was impressed by her resilience. put a bullet in the boss's forehead and took over the leadership of the gang. Phoolan, for to whom no one had ever done anything like this in her life, fell in love.

Big gang - big family



The lovers organized a raid on the village where the ex lived the girl's husband. They robbed the rich from the heart, and Phoolan's sadistic husband she dragged me out into the street, kicked me hard and stabbed me with a knife goodbye. Leaving a note with a recommendation for adults next to the squealing missus Men shouldn't marry little girls.

The glorious life of the Indian Robinhoods began. The gang was robbing trains, took representatives of the upper castes hostage with the demand ransom, and in between cases the criminal couple enjoyed romance.

Two brothers began to cling to the leader's girlfriend. Vikram couldn't stand it expressed dissatisfaction with them. They flared up because their caste was in hierarchy higher than Vikram's caste. The result was the death of the leader and new torment of the girl, whom the brothers who seized power took to their village.

She miraculously escaped, formed a new gang and continued her usual business.

Bonnie Parker in a sari



A couple of years later, the young woman returned to the village of Bekhmai, where she was tortured, and organized Bloody Valentine's Day - she ordered catch and shoot all local men.

The country froze. And around Devi’s personality instantly a cult formed. They began making dolls in honor of the avenger. The illiterate Indian woman could be called the forerunner of indigenous feminism. And she never touched women.



Surrender of the gang

The government approached the bandit queen and offered deal. By that time, the woman was already very tired of running and was seriously ill. She agreed to surrender on the condition that her people would be spared their lives. And they will receive no more than 8 years in prison.

Arriving in the city of Bhind, where the gang received almost royal treatment honors, the robber and her people laid down their arms and went to prison



Investigation, trial and unexpected results



Number of crimes charged against Phoolan Devi, excl. the small amount was fifty. The investigation lasted more than 10 years, and during this time a woman who could not read or write dictated a whole book about his adventures and misadventures called “The Bandit Queen of India”, which was later filmed.



Still from the film "Bandit Queen"

A new wave of popular sympathy surged after prison surgeon who did not want the birth of new similar characters, along with removed a woman's ovaries with a cyst. Devi lost the opportunity to know the happiness of motherhood.

A campaign was launched in support of the prisoner, as a result which the criminal was released. The woman got married, accepted Buddhism and became a member of parliament.



Memorial at the site of the execution

July 25, 2001 life of a mob queen and MP Masked men cut off the bullets that riddled the woman’s body. Three of They turned out to be fatal, and Robin Hood in a sari died in the car Ambulance.

Sher Singh Ran - one of the attackers surrendered to the police himself, claiming that the murder was revenge for the shooting of men in Bekhmai. The traditionally slow Indian proceedings lasted 13 years. Murderer went to serve a life sentence, and Phoolan Devi remained national heroine of India, who defended women and members of lower castes.