Women In The Vanguard, Ctd

A reader recalls a similar phenomenon - in the violence after the assasination of Indira Gandhi -  as captured by Amitav Ghosh in "The Ghosts of Mrs. Gandhi":

"And then something happened that I have never completely understood. Nothing was said; there was no signal, nor was there any break in the rhythm of our chanting. But suddenly all women in our group - and the women made up more than half of the group's numbers - stepped out and surrounded the men; their saris and kameezes became thin, fluttering barrier, a wall around us. They turned to face the approaching men, challenging them, daring them to attack. The thugs took a few more steps toward us and then faltered, confused. A moment later, they were gone."