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Sampat Pal Age, Husband, Children, Family, Biography & More

Sampat Pal

Bio/Wiki
Full NameSampat Pal Devi
Profession(s)Social Activist, Politician
Famous ForFounding "Gulabi Gang" (an Organization that works for Women Empowerment and Welfare)
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)in centimeters- 163 cm
in meters- 1.63 m
in feet inches- 5’ 4”
Weight (approx.)in kilograms- 60 kg
in pounds- 132 lbs
Eye ColourHazel Brown
Hair ColourBlack
Politics
Political PartyIndian National Congress
Indian National Congress
Political Journey• Her political career started after she met Sonia Gandhi's mother in Italy;
Sampat went there to attend a programme organised by feminist organisations.
• In the 2007 UP assembly polls, she contested from the Manikpur Constituency in Chitrakoot district, which she lost.
• Second time, she contested the UP elections in 2012 from the same constituency and lost.
• In 2017, she again participated on a Congress ticket but lost again.
Personal Life
Date of Birth1960
Age (as in 2018)58 Years
BirthplaceUttar Pradesh
NationalityIndian
HometownBundelkhand Region of Uttar Pradesh, North India
SchoolDid not Attend
CollegeDid not Attend
Educational QualificationSelf-study
ReligionHinduism
Boys, Affairs, and More
Marital StatusMarried
Marriage Year1972
Family
Husband/SpouseName Not Known (an Ice-cream Vendor)
ChildrenNames Not Known

Note: She has 5 children.
ParentsFather- Name Not Known (a Shepherd)
Mother- Name Not Known (Homemaker)

Sampat PalSome Lesser Known Facts About Sampat Pal

  • She is the head of “Gulabi Gang;” active in the impoverished Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

    Sampat Pal's Gulaabi Gang

    Sampat Pal’s Gulaabi Gang

  • She has been a child marriage victim, who was married to an ice cream vendor (a resident of Banda district of UP) at the age of 12.
  • When she was in her sixteen, she opposed one of her neighbours who was beating up his wife. She decided to teach that man a lesson. She motivated other women in the area to take a stand for themselves and made that man apologize publically.
  • After some time, she came in touch with Jai Prakash Shivharey; a social activist who motivated and supported her to raise her voice for women’s rights. Consequently, she built the Gulabi Gang in 1980.
  • By the age of 20, she had become a mother to five children. The incident that stole her childhood from her, became the motive of the Gulabi Gang, i.e. “women empowerment and child education promotion.”
  • Without any formal education, she learned to read and write and made up her mind to bring a change in the living standard of the women of the Bundelkhand region.
  • The ladies of this Gulabi Gang wear pink sarees and carry pink bamboo sticks whenever they carry out their activities. Pal chose pink colour as it was free of any political and religious intentions.

    Sampat Pal’s Gulaabi Gang in Pink Sarees and with Pink Sticks

    Sampat Pal’s Gulaabi Gang in Pink Sarees and with Pink Sticks

  • Started on a small scale, today, this gang has become an active women movement with more than 2,70,000 members all around Uttar Pradesh and nearby areas.
  • After the foundation of this gang, a lot of women became aware of their rights and independence.
  • The role of this Gulabi Gang inspired the making of two movies; “Pink Saris” (2010), a documentary by Kim Longinotto and “Gulab Gang” (2014) by Nishtha Jain. However, a few days before the release of the film Gulab Gang, Pal filed a case against Gulab Gang team for making a movie based on her life without her approval; the issue was resolved later. Gulab Gang stars Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla in lead roles.
  • In 2012, she participated in India’s biggest reality show “Bigg Boss Season 6;” aired on Colors TV channel.

    Sampat Pal in Bigg Boss 6

    Sampat Pal in Bigg Boss 6

  • In 2013, Amana Fontanella-Khan (Pakistani-Irish Author) launched a book named “Pink Sari Revolution.” This book is based on Sampat Pal’s journey from a simple girl to the chief of the Gulabi Gang.

    Sampat Pal Book "Pink Saree Revolution"

    Sampat Pal Book “Pink Sari Revolution”

  • On 31 August 2017, Rangapayana (a theatre company) performed a play on Sampat Pal and her Gulabi Gang journey. The play was directed by Rajguru Hoskote.
  • She is considered as an independent, creative, energetic, and courageous person; who has become an inspiration to many.