As women clamour for equality, many men around the countryhave now begun to organise themselves to fight for their rights. With 24 laws that are women-centric in oursystem, women often misuse the law when the victim of violence is in fact thehusband. Recently a national-level coordination forum of men called forprotection from wives and live-in-partners who were exploiting these legislationsthat armed them with ‘unbridled’ power.
Today, many Indian men have begun to look at progressivelaws for women as being destructive, resulting in ruined careers and financial despair. Some of these include IPC 498A. Under this law, one word by the wife can landthe husband in jail, without any formal investigation. Anyone can file a false case and there is nopunishment for filing false cases. Theburden of showing proof lies with the man. Police and lawyers are aware ofthese false cases and so are the judges who are helpless in such matters.
The Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA) is another law whichenables the daughter-in-law to file a case against any male member of thehusband’s family alleging mental and physical harassment. There are cases when womenhave complained of harassment after being asked to make tea for her husband andhis friends. The present situation todayis that cooking, cleaning and any form of household work can also be construedas harassment. The burden of proof lieson the men. Only last week the BombayHigh court held that a wife is not obligated to cook, clean and keep house forhim. She can even deny him sex if hecannot afford children.
There are several instances where men are harassed with callletters addressed to their offices by the commission for women. This is a body madeup of members who are nominated generally from the ruling party. The commission often forgets that itsfunction is to protect the rights of women or help bring about harmony inrelationships. Their focus however very often is to harass hapless men. It is in the light of this background that wehave now have a call from men under the banner of the All India Men’s WelfareAssociation (AIMWA) demanding that a commission be set up to safe guard therights of men. It is their contention that many women have misused laws thatare beneficial to them and have turned their husband’s into ATM’s to withdrawmoney when they feel like it.
The author, an ex-lecturer from People’s Higher Secondary, is themanager of a school in Goa. She assistedin the drafting of the Children’s Act and is also the convenor for CampaignAgainst Child Labour in Goa (CACL)
