The Bandit Queens: Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023

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Naqvi, Haidar (12 April 2023). "Another accused in 1981 Behmai massacre dies, only 2 men now face trial". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023 . Retrieved 7 May 2023. Kumar, S. R. Ashok (12 January 1996). "The cream of Indian cinema". The Hindu. p.26. Archived from the original on 21 December 1996.

How the women in the village band together to overcome the obstacles of patriarchy and gender/ race/caste discrimination makes for an enjoyable book.I loved watching Geeta’s confidence build as she sought to improve not just her own lot in life, but that of other women. This was a wonderful, character rich story - the women are fully fleshed out. Shroff does an excellent job of placing the reader in this small Indian village, with a mix of language, caste delineation, customs and folklore. stars. *Let me start by saying I definitely do not think this is a bad book and if it piques your interest, give it a try! Just not a book for me. Y’all, I am so sad to say I really struggled with this one! I tried the audiobook about a month ago and DNFed it, but the synopsis of this book was so intriguing that I wanted to try it in print just to make sure😅 and while I did end up finishing it, it’s honestly my fault for not just DNFing it when I had those slogging feelings🫣 In August 1980, Shri Ram arranges to have Vikram assassinated, and abducts Phoolan, bringing her to the village of Behmai. Phoolan is repeatedly raped and beaten by Shri Ram and by the rest of the gang members, as punishment for her "disrespect" for his previous advances, and for her audacity at being equal. The final humiliation and punishment is that she is stripped naked, paraded around Behmai, beaten, and sent to fetch water from the well (in full view of the village). Rathod, Bharat (2022). "Introduction". Dalit academic journeys: Stories of caste, exclusion and assertion in Indian higher education (Ebooked.). New Delhi: Routledge. pp.1–31. doi: 10.4324/9781003224822-1. ISBN 978-1-003-22482-2. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022 . Retrieved 21 December 2022.

The court case concerning the Behmai massacre began in 2012; of the twenty-three people facing charges, sixteen (including Devi) were dead by 2020. Of the seven remaining suspects, three were on the run (including Man Singh). A verdict was expected in January 2020 and then delayed because important case documents had been lost. [63] The last witness died the following year, and since the presiding judge had been transferred, the case began again in 2022. [64] [65] In 2023, another suspect died, leaving only two people on trial. [66] Mala Sen". The Daily Telegraph. 30 May 2011. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022 . Retrieved 18 December 2022. After the massacre, Phoolan Devi remained on the run and was nearly caught by the police on 31 March 1981. [17] :335 Her mother was held for five months in Kalpi prison to pressure Devi to give herself up. [8] In 1983, Phoolan Devi surrendered to the authorities after long negotiations led by Rajendra Chaturvedi, a police officer from Bhind. Dressed in a police uniform and wearing a red bandanna on her head, she bowed before representations of Durga and Gandhi, then prostrated herself in front of Arjun Singh, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, with 8,000 people watching. [10] Phoolan Devi had set conditions regarding her surrender, which included: no death penalty for anyone from her gang; a maximum custodial sentence of eight years; no use of handcuffs; being imprisoned as a group; being imprisoned in Madhya Pradesh and not Uttar Pradesh; her family being given land with space for her goat and cow; and her brother getting a government job. [10] She and seven men, including Man Singh, surrendered. [2] :215 Mala Sen records that the male journalists gathered in Bhind to watch her surrender were unimpressed with her plain appearance. [2] :218 a b c d Moxham, Roy (2010). "Chapter 5". Outlaw: India's Bandit Queen and me (Ebooked.). London: Rider. ISBN 978-1-84604-182-2.

BookBrowse Review

My most favorite part of this book is when Geeta rescues an abused dog she later names Bandit. To watch their relationship grow from one of uncertainty to full blown adoration and love was amazing. Oh my heart. 💖🐶 This story was so much fun! It is filled with dark humor (my favorite), mystery, and meaningful points and thoughts about domestic abuse, the caste systems in India, poverty, religious divides, gender disparities, and the value and complexities of female friendships. Out on bail, Sher Singh Rana marries girl from MP". Hindustan Times. 21 February 2018. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023 . Retrieved 18 June 2023. How is it that the difference between lust, dominance, and love is still not clear? Raavan was a rapist who abused countless women. ( He was upper caste too, and the author could have used this to drive her point for the nth time. But no, he has to be in lovey-dovey love with Sita.) Main accused in Phoolan Devi's killing convicted". News Karnataka. Indo-Asian News Service. 8 August 2014. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014.

Phoolan had embraced Buddhism". The Times of India. 27 July 2001. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021 . Retrieved 24 January 2021. Phoolan Devin was born to a low-caste household in 1963 in a village on the banks of the sacred Yamuna River in the vast north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.Narayan, Ranjana (25 February 2015). "Nobody likes it when a woman from the lower classes makes a name for herself: Phoolan Devi's husband". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 3 July 2023 . Retrieved 3 July 2023. This novel is really impressive for a debut. It's rich with description, and vivid with character. I loved the immersion into the way of life of this small community. Karon, Tony (25 July 2001). "India's Bandit Queen died as she once lived". Time. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022 . Retrieved 20 December 2022. In a small Indian village, Geeta has garnered a reputation as a “self-made widow” after her husband, Ramesh, disappeared five years ago. When a woman in her micro-loan group approaches her to help get rid of her husband, many unintended actions occur, including more women who want their husbands disposed of in a non-suspicious manner. The real-life Bandit Queen, Phoolan Devi, is Geeta’s inspiration for getting revenge on men who do women wrong. Behmai case hearing begins again". The Shillong Times. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022 . Retrieved 7 May 2023.