Men demand equal status

Source – caravanalive.com

Protestors from 20 different cities of India held a protest a ‘satyagraha for men’ to mount pressure on government and bring gender neutral laws. A 90 year old lady named Birma Devi is one of the those who called for the ‘satyagraha for men’ in a protest demanding gender-neutral laws and a separate ministry for men (like there is a separate ministry for women) in New Delhi on Saturday, 29th April 2017.Birma Devi was served with a notice on April 1 this year for allegedly beating her grandson’s wife and asking for dowry. The grandson Praveen Rajoria says that his grandmother is a 90 year old lady and is doing the rounds at the police station. My wife served us domestic violence notice after I told her to call off our marriage as it was not working for us. The law has become a revenge tool for wives to get back at husbands and their families. The laws which were meant to protect women have been misused beyond proportion and are being used to harass men, get money from them, defame them, take revenge etc.Birma, joined scores of people, along with her grandson, who had gathered at Jantar Mantar in the city to protest for revocation of Section 498A (related to harassment of women for dowry) of the Indian Penal Code.

A retired Delhi police ACP also participated in the protest claiming that he was falsely implicated in a case of sexual harassment while he was working on an assignment to nab women involved in human trafficking. He alleged that there was a sexual harassment case filed against him by fellow female officers after he busted a racket. Despite insufficient proof, their statements were considered to be gospel truth. My salary and pension were stopped. Though he was freed of the charges by the UPSC this year, he is still waiting for his pension. In a strange case, a 60-year-old man claimed that he had been ousted by his 55- year-old wife and now forced to live at Jantar Mantar and simultaneously attend court hearings. His wife ousted me from my house after 27 years of marriage and filed a divorce case. She also occupied his two flats worth crores and he was forced to live at Jantar Mantar. He has taken a small accommodation in Haridwar. Once he had a successful business and now he is living at the mercy of people.

The magnitude of law misuse is very evident looking at the number of people who are joining hands to protest against these evil laws. Unfortunately, today the laws meant to protect women are being used to unleash spite and revenge at the whims and mercy of many scrupulous women. An NGO claims that more than 90,000 men have committed suicide after being falsely implicated by women in rape, molestation and dowry cases in the last two years in India. Detailed memorandums were sent by protestors to Prime Minister’s Office, Home Ministry, and Law Ministry with demands hoping that the government will take the grievances seriously and with greater sensitivity. Members termed the protest ‘satyagraha for men’ to mount pressure on government and bring a change in laws.