Can only men commit a crime?

Why don’t people and the police believe men when they say that their wives harass them?

An elderly woman forces a young boy to have sex with her. Is this not rape by a woman?

Why are there no laws to protect men from their harassment at the hands of their wives?

In most divorce cases, why does a woman always get the custody of the child and the husband has to pay maintenance money?

These are some of the many questions the two aggrieved men from Jaipur are seeking answers for. Anil Rao and a friend of his (identity protected) are fighting with the Rajasthan Government to bring a gender neutral law to bring about equality and justice amongst all genders and not favor one over another.

They conducted a two-day awareness program, ‘Purush Kranti, Purush Aayog’ (Men Revolution, Men Commission) at the Collectorate Circle and on the third day of dharna (demonstration and protest) many men and women joined the protest in support of the cause and their demands.

JWB also reached out to Anil Rao to understand more about the issue and their demands and had an exclusive chat about his personal grievance which led him to take this step.

Anil said,

“There’s a national Save the Indian Family Foundation which is working towards the same issues as ours. It is very important for people to understand that Section 498 of IPC i.e. the Dowry Law is being misused to a great length, and it is ruining the lives of many men.”      

“Supreme Court in a statement has also accepted this fact that Section 498 is being misused and exploited by many people for their personal interests, and the fallacy rate is very high in the cases.”

“So, what measures do you want the Government to take to curb this issue?” I inquired.

He explained, “As a group, we are demanding four things from the Raj Government. First, why are there no laws to protect men? We are not averse of laws for women, but we demand Gender Neutral Laws and not Gender Specific laws.”

“Second, the matrimonial cases are long pending in the Court. Sometimes it takes over ten years to get the judgment, which is, in every way, draining for both the husband and the wife. Judgment delayed is judgment denied, and so we want that judgment in such cases should be time-bound.”

“Thirdly, many times, people change their statements in the Court. So, a video recording of the hearing should be done. And, lastly, like the state has a Women’s Commission where women can go to report their problems, a ‘Purush Ayog’ (Men’s Commission) should also be set-up to safeguard the rights of the men.”

Every Sunday they all meet up at Central Park to discuss their problems, cases pending at the Court and the future course of action. They are also connected through Whatsapp group and “the number of members in the group is every day increasing,” said Anil claiming that there are so many oppressed voices of men which we want the Government to hear and address.

He himself has been a victim at the hands of his wife and shared how it ruined his career and life and now he doesn’t want any other man to suffer the same way which is why he is fighting with all his grit and determination for their rights.

Together with his co-organiser, they have created a Facebook page, to spread awareness and address the issues related to protection and grievance redressal laws for men.

Well, JWB has always supported the gender equality and believes in equal rights and laws for everyone. We hope that the Rajasthan Government lends ears and an open mind to their issues and brings about a fair and unbiased decision that’s in favor of everyone.

Do share your thoughts and opinions on the issue in the comments below.