Where Are The Men's Rights In India?
I don’t have any qualms if I am called Sexist, Male Chauvinist
Pig, Narcissist or any similar sounding adjective for this piece of mine. First
I care rat’s posterior for comments made against anything that I have a strong
conviction and second there is absolutely no harm in standing up for the
genuine rights of the group, community or even the gender to which one belongs.
That said, I will still urge the readers to not get
prejudiced and conclude on the basis of their own assumption, without analyzing
both sides of the coin and more precisely, what I want to convey here.
I am not at all against the welfare, development or the
rights of the fairer sex but that doesn’t necessarily means I close my eyes on
the virtually nonexistent rights of the males when compared or pitted against
those are there for the females. I am not all against the protective umbrella
that our women enjoy from the laws and guidelines that are formulated since
they deserve that extra bit of cushion from the law makers so that their
interest, life, future are safeguarded but that shouldn’t anyway make things
look utterly one-sided affair once it is put head-on against their male
counterparts.
Some wise head correctly said – ‘As long as you are not entangled
with our police, courts and lawyers you won’t realize how pathetically one can
land in a hopeless situation’. Here I want to add another possibility for
Indian men; that is women. As an average man in this country one only needs to
be that unlucky to land in a mess with a woman to realize how biased our laws
are. I can assure you, the helplessness that you will feel when among our
courts or police would appear negligible in comparison to what you will feel
against a single woman; more so when the dispute is of domestic in nature. Yet
again I am not against the specific laws that are largely women oriented as
they should be since a majority chunk of our women are still oppressed, thanks
to nonsenses like Khap and all but I am strongly against the very laws being
misused so rampantly in urban areas. If someone disagrees here on the women
laws are not being misused, then I am afraid this piece of write-up isn’t for
you since you might be living in an entirely different India.
Let’s get down to the business of analyzing the law then. The
thumb rule of formulating any rule is
·
It should protect the interest of the oppressed
and less powerful
·
It should bring a social balance among the
sections of the society
·
It should have an unbiased approach towards the
issue at hand with an holistic framework
·
It should have checks-and-balances to stop the
misuse of the same
Let’s see how far our women rights laws have achieved in
addressing the basic necessities of law making listed above.
Protecting the interest of the Oppressed: Has it really?
Need an honest answer after scrutinizing all the burning cases that we see on
television or read in our newspapers on daily basis. If you ask me then, had it
been successful even by a tenth of what it is been designed for, we would have
achieved a paradigm shift on the state of our women by now. There are abundant instances
of women getting tortured in the hands of their husbands and in-laws or even
their own parents and siblings for no reason whatsoever. The number of dowry
deaths reported daily might very well urge for the use of a calculator to take
the count. And keep it in mind that we are talking of the situation a good three
decades since we formulated such strong women oriented laws. So where is the
effectiveness of the law here? If the Law has real teeth to set things straight
at the grassroot level then how come it is time and again failing miserably to
protect the interest of those millions of women who are tortured beyond anyone’s
imagination in our villages or even in semi-urban areas? How in earth the law loses
its veracity when it comes to its effectiveness in every nook-and-corner of our
country? Why the law is not that approachable for a helpless women residing in
a remote village of Uttar Pradesh, who gets beaten mercilessly for even
sleeping half an hour more than she is allowed to? Why the law doesn’t act on
the culprits of a Chhattisgarh tribal village for killing their daughter-in-law
because she couldn’t bear a son? Where is the law in the villages of Haryana
when they kill their own daughters for developing a liking towards someone of
the same village?
Bringing a social balance: Has the law brought about a
social balance in our society? Has the average woman of any village who works
in the fields has become at par with her rights and exercising of the same with
the woman of our metros who goes to a pub over the weekend? Where is the social
balance when our women in villages are still refrained from deciding to whom
even they should vote in the elections? Where is the balance when a majority of
our women can’t even decide what they want from their lives or if they should
venture out to the market to finish some household chores, without informing
their husbands? Have the strong women rights brought all women cutting across
cast, creed, social stature, religion or geographical location to level terms? So
where is the social balance when a set of women can do whatever they like in their life and very rightly so while another set might just have to seek for permission to even
address their nature calls? What is the social balance we are talking about?
Being unbiased itself: Now here the crux of my blog starts.
Does anyone from the core of his/her heart believe the laws are unbiased in its
entirety? The maturity of governance comes with credible actions against complains
without wasting anytime than acting not only in haste but also taking the complaint
on its face value and taking it for granted. While the norm is to have the grievance
and its authenticity corroborated before acting against the culprit, in case of
women laws it is always the other way round. The alleged accused (generally
along with his family) is always invariably acted upon and thrown behind bars (most
of the times) without anyone caring to figure out if the victim’s complain holds
any water or not. This is even against the core ethics of our criminal justice
system where it is emboldened – ‘Let a thousand of culprits go Scott Free but
let’s not punish an innocent’. Where these lines written all over our
courtrooms perishes when it comes to implementing women rights rules? How in
earth once can guarantee the authenticity of the claims of the complainant
without investigating the truth behind the screen? How the laws of a mature
democracy can take someone’s words on face value, just because they belong to a
particular gender or community? Even if we consider the female species are to
be the real holy cows of the planet, still it can’t rule out the presence of few
rotten entities that could go all over the place with all their fabricated
grievances at the drop of a hat. Can someone guarantee the non-occurrence of
such quelled behavior ever? If NO then why take a chance with having such
biased laws which could so easily be sabotaged?
Stopping the misuse of it: I am sure the present sets of
laws are misused to the fullest and I need no further conviction on it. More
than the misuse, it is the nonuse of the laws that looks scarier. The women who
really in desperate need of such laws to come to their rescue to elevate them
from the inhumane torture and mental trauma they go through everyday are
generally never seen exercising their rights while the nonsense brigade
residing in our metros or elsewhere are seen benefitting tremendously by
misusing the same rules more rampantly than Pakistan employ lies when it comes
to terrorism. There are instances of domestic abuse FIRs getting filed just
because the husband refused his wife going for a movie alone. A simple quarrel
in the household are reported to the authorities as a case of mental and
physical trauma at parallel with the dowry torture complain tucked along with
it. The concerns of the honorable Kerala high court on the number of live-in
relationships later being conveniently leveled as a case of rape against the
male member is nothing but a proof how the rules are being misused by today’s
generation women when they feel all advantages are taken out of a relationship.
Even if we agree that a pious species like women won’t ever take wrong measures
for personal gain, the law by design should contain enough avenues to stop
itself from getting misused. Do our women laws have even one single such avenue
within? I mean, literally a single clause which will deter anyone from filing
false complains? Is there a clause to severely punish the complainant if the accusations
were found to be fabricated later on? Is there any clause to safe guard the
interest of accused in it? Shouldn’t the law be unforgiving to both the parties
and treat both the parities cordially till found otherwise? What if the accused
is actually innocent? What course the law will take against the complainant if
it is found the accusation is because of the overzealous attitude of one party?
Not sure about many, but I have some firsthand observations
of the laws being misused. I have seen guys along with their family members
being put behind bars on the basis of false allegations made by their daughter-in-laws.
While there are no answers to such atrocious action, just based on someone’s
mere complain it is more disheartening to see the nonchalant behavior of our authorities
towards the reparations the accused might face because of such actions. I am
aware of at least one instance where a person has to lose his job, his image
and family repute. His father committed suicide after coming out of the jail
through bail; only to be unearthed later that the accusation was an entire
pigment of imagination of the woman who filed it at the first place. A family
stand devastated while the woman in question was only reprimanded by the courts
for such behavior. Now I need someone to stand up and still claim the rules are
not misused by today’s women.
Even if one wishes to brush the issue by claiming it to be
one-off, he or she still can’t as the instances are not rare but plenty. The
other day while returning after a nice dinner around midnight, I happen to see
few girls in front of a pub putting on the kind of attires which I am sure even
our movie personalities would have some reservation in putting in. There was a
police raid and these girls wearing almost nothing were seen running for
covers. Now imagine if their husbands dare to oppose such behavior of these
girls in future. There goes a FIR for domestic violence and the man will find
himself behind bars even before he can realize how a lightning strikes. Now
please don’t term me playing the moral police card since pea brains and the
pseudo moderns who think nudity as a sign of prosperity won’t realize till they
see their own female members hooking around half nude or the scenario I mentioned
is only imaginative since I am sure it has happened, is happening and will
continue to happen.
I have seen women using the laws as an official weapon for
blackmailing their in-laws to agree on their terms-and-conditions. Lakhs of
rupees are bargained as alimony and maintenance by threatening with this law.
Hapless families are seen selling their last penny to meet the demands since a
simple complain might land them in jail for no apparent fault of theirs. The
concern goes on and on.
In realty; while the idea of such draconian laws was to help
the real needy and bringing a fear psychosis among the real culprits has failed
miserably in achieving its goals, it is now being used by absolute idiots
roaming on urban streets against their helpless and innocent husbands and
in-laws so that their greed and that false sense of dejavu – ‘We are modern and
prospering’ is satisfied.
P.S
– No intention of projecting the female race as bad but just an attempt at
showcasing the nasty truths that are been carried out on the pretext of being
ultra-smart. Just a thought needed.
Very True. I also suspect those who are demanding such rules for women in parliment. I suspect they are having hand-in hand deal with wetern countries /china to spoil Indian culture and tradtion which was intact till late 1970s to my KN. They might be heavily funded by those countries, which doenot want India to prosper.
ReplyDeleteImagine the social,economic status of a westerner where he doesnot own any thing in his life. We will be one day in same position. take my words.
Nice article written about the lack of Men's Rights in India, gross misuse of women centric laws to meet the unscrupulous motives of the women.
ReplyDeleteWe are a NGO fighting against the misuse of women laws such as dowry harassment (IPC 498a), Domestic Violence, Divorce laws, Alimony Laws, Child Custody laws & other related matrimonial laws, under the banner of SAVE INDIAN FAMILY, ALL INDIA MENS'WELFARE ASSOCIATION, CHILD RIGHTS INITIATIVE FOR SHARED PARENTING & 20 other sister organizations.
For more details on women centric laws misuse please visit SAVEINDIANFAMILY.ORG & its partner websites.
The point is very well raised as there is absolutely no law which protect Indian men even from the domestic violence whereas there are hundreds of anti male law which falsely involved men
ReplyDeleteNobody cares for rat's posterior on what u have to say Mr BC!!
ReplyDeleteWow, Finally a feminist who jumped in the forum. I wonder if we have more Pseudo-Seculars in our nation or Pseudo-Feminists. Just Wondering.
ReplyDeleteWell written. All what men are asking is some respect and basic human right to be treated innocent until proven guilty. Is that a crime?
ReplyDeleteI have seen many abuses of law forget about men for a moment, the irony is that the law which was designed to protect about women is working against very women! Female in-laws!
ReplyDeleteA law in India is not made according to necessity but by keeping the vote bank in mind.The root cause of many ills and sins.
ReplyDeleteVote bank laws
ReplyDeleteyou are absolutely right the law is not helping the women population of this country who really require them but definitely misused by some but when some one can misuse a law i think there is some problem with the law itself thaat has to be strong so that no one can manipulate things with its help
ReplyDeleteThe Women and Child welfare ministry of our government of India works on only following two principles :
ReplyDelete1. "woman is always the victim and man is always the criminal"
2. "every woman has the right to live the way she wants, on the money hard earned by a man"
https://www.facebook.com/groups/protectionformen/
hey buddy.. we are a group discussing men's rights... Do join us at facebook over the above mentioned link.. :)
Btw, Renuka Chowdhary, Indira Jaysingh, Vrinda Karat, Keerti Singh, and my gender studies prof Indira Jalli will rot in hell for sure...
Totally agree. Laws are perhaps not the right / effective tools to address social evils such as atrocities against women. The results when we dont use the right approach: on the one hand the real issue is not getting addressed (almost completely) and on the other we have new issues coming up.
ReplyDeleteRC is the kind of woman who wants young hunks licking her u know what!!! U can make out from the way she gives looks
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing about women is everything is fake except the stink coming out of their posterior! And they pretend as if some guy in the next cubicle did it!
ReplyDeleteI believe now they are trying to make rape laws and sexual harrassement laws gender neutral. That is a good step. There also needs to be a law against stalking of men by women.
ReplyDeleteLal K anadi stood up in the parliament for death rap to rapists......mrs. shekawat patil pardoned some hardcore convicts.....directionless law minister....directionless article with routine stuff....
ReplyDeleteMany people assume that feminism is about the idea that women are superior to men. What it is actually about is equality.
ReplyDeleteAre the laws biased to favour women? Absolutely.
Anyone accused of dowry harassment is to be arrested immediately.A lot of people claim to be victims of false accusations.
But then,lets look at why this law exists. We all know of the reluctance of the police to register rape cases,often claiming that only prostitutes come to police stations. We also know about the large number of battered women all over the country,beaten,abused and raped by their husbands(yes,there is such a thing as marital rape). Policemen often refuse to register these cases often saying that it is a "private" matter, and of course every husband has the right to beat his wife. And lets not forget ,in India,social customs and traditions are way more important to people than laws. Discrimination on basis of caste is illegal? who cares,its part of our "heritage". With such an overwhelming social bias against women as independent individuals,that draconian dowry harassment law is often the ONLY defence they have.
It is only when society gets rid of its social biases will we be finally able to frame balanced laws. So the next time some one talks about womens rights and feminism, do support them,because in the long run,it is about equality for all.
PS, the blog itself is a decent read,but some of the comments above are filthy.There is a way to intelligently express disapproval. Perhaps if you moderate such comments,your blog will be taken more seriously.
ReplyDeleteIf policeman dont register cases does that mean that u frame laws that allow women to file false cases and get old in laws arrested?
ReplyDeleteDoes it mean that live in females will enjoy the relationship and then after a few months or years complain of rape?
Does it mean that a so called independent and unbiased media like Times Now and Times of India will print and broadcast headlines as "Rapist so and so did this ..." "Rapist so and so does that" or "Molester so and so did this" when it is only an allegation and it is not proved that the fellow was a rapist or molester?
Shouldnt the headline be Alleged rapist or Alleged Molestor?
Do u know that a police inspector alleged to have raped a minor committed suicide under a train when all the while Times now and TOI were blaring Rapist policeman did this Rapist policeman did that.... and later the court threw away the rape charge!!!!
If policemen dont take in rape complaints or dowry harrasement complaints or wife bashing complaints take them to task. U r trying to cut the leg because u have a bruise on the hand. Silly!!!
The point of the law is promote equality. If men and women are unequal in society,the law will be biased inorder to correct that.
ReplyDeleteYes the laws ARE biased,yes they ARE screwed up. However as long as society is eually screwed up,the law will continue be required in order to ensure EQUALITY.
Do you know how many countless rape survivors have committed suicide because there is NO justice for them?
Do you think that rapists should go free BECAUSE they were in a live in relationship?
There is a deep rooted social bias in India against women.It exists in the mind of both men and women.It prevents everyone including policemen from taking violence against women seriously.
It is not only the mentality of policemen but the entire country which is flawed. What are survivors of violence supposed to do,wait till the country wakes up?!!
Violence against women is not a simple problem. Yes,those who are falsely accused suffer at the hands of the legal system.But Until the social bias is gone,the very LIVES of women are at stake.These laws are a necessary evil.
If you want to get rid of these laws,support equality for ALL - irrespective of gender,caste or creed.
Laws like 498A are mostly for the Common Man, and usually for the Middle-Class.
ReplyDeleteRemember, a similar domestic case was brought up against Arjun Singh - the Politician. But what happened? NOTHING.
if a girl committed to a boy and using for sex to make promise that she will get marriage and then if girl leave him alone then how a boy make complain in human rights??????????
ReplyDeleteYes you are Correct In the name of Women Laws Innocent Men community is being tortured Do We have special women in India than the rest of the word so why do we have these society breaker laws in India These days Men are refusing to mary and and it's not far away that majority of men would stop getting married because of these laws what would happen than it What would happen to So called women law and welfare when men would stop taking them in their home and consider them as wild animals which should be better to stay away from home.... Court laws and Police would raise kids the future citizens in their premises............. without any father's name Just think about the future society based on these biased laws........ and then there all would be criminals as there would be no society left......
ReplyDeleteSo these gender biased laws would be going to Ruin to the dust the entire 5 thousand year old Indian Civilization. And India Would once again standing at the starting point where there would be no Police, No Laws no society only one slogan " MUM SHATKARNI PUTRA"
good
ReplyDeletewhat an idean sirji
ReplyDeleteYou are an idiot ! Do have any statistics to show that men have it better than women in this country ? Do you ?
ReplyDeleteLet me inform you about this....Women outlive men in our country. Yes, they do. How the hell does an oppressed gender end up outliving their oppressors ? Can you enlighten ?
Even in cases of suicides, for every woman there are 2 men committing suicide in India. How the hell are women having it worse ?
The fact is that men like you are self-loathing. The constant male bashing in the media fails to wake you up. If we as a society are so anti-women, why is the print, television and social media so overwhelmingly pro-female ? Why is the judiciary, the laws and the policies of Govt. so pro-women ? Just why ? Can you nutjob answer that ?
Who exactly does all the dangerous and life-threatening jobs ? Is it women guarding the borders of our country ? Who exactly are fighting the Maoists with sub-standard guns and sub-human facilities ? Remember the 76 men killed in a single attack of the Maoists ? There have been instances where a poor soldier had gone to defecate in the open and was killed by a leopard. Are these men privileged ?
Who works in the firefighting or in the police force where there is a risk of losing your life any moment ? Who drives the passenger buses all-night ? Who exactly are the night-guards doing duty in affluent people's houses ? Who exactly is the rickshaw-driver or the rickshaw-puller in old cities ? Who works in the factories in dangerous & unhygienic conditions ? Who exactly is your plumber or your mechanic ?
These are the things the vast majority of men do. Do you find any them privileged ? Has the media at any time taken the case of these men like they do 24/7 for women ?
The truth is this ---- A woman claiming victimhood has many sympathisers but a man claiming the same has next to none. Come out of your bubble and see the real world you dumbhead.
http://jezebel.com/5992479/if-i-admit-that-hating-men-is-a-thing-will-you-stop-turning-it-into-a-self+fulfilling-prophecy
ReplyDeleteYour opening line is correct, the law is made for everyone. But the rest of what you speak is bullshit. You cannot give one person a right at the cost of another person's rights. That's against the principle of individual rights. The problem at hand is sociological and one of implementation, shouting out from the rooftops won't solve anything. And why are you anonymous? Are you ashamed of your opinion?
ReplyDelete