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सेव इंडियन फैमिली फाउंडेशन
Save Indian Family Foundation
سیو انڈین فیملی فاؤنڈیشن
সেভ ইন্ডিয়ান ফ্যামিলি ফাউন্ডেশন
సేవ్ ఇండియన్ ఫ్యామిలీ ఫౌండేషన్
Founded2005
FounderRajesh Vakharia
FocusMen's rights, Fathers' rights, Domestic violence, Gender Equality[1]
Location
Key people
Anil Kumar Murthy (Co-founder), Rukma Chary, Pandurang Katti, Jai Dutt Sharma (Spokesperson)
Websitewww.saveindianfamily.org
Part of a series on
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See also

Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF) is India's largest[3] men's rights group in India. It is a registered, non-funded, non-profit educational and civil rights non-governmental organization (NGO) and works with various like-minded NGOs in India.[4]

Main goals of the men's rights movement are introduction of gender-neutral legislation and repeal of laws that are biased against men.[5] SIFF is organized around legal issues such as anti-dowry laws, divorce, and child custody, which are misused against men through rampant false cases.[6] They also assert that the frequency of domestic violence against men has increased with time with many cases going unreported as men are shamed into not reporting abuse, or fear false accusations against them in reprisal. Some men's rights activists also consider India's rape reporting laws and sexual harassment laws in India to be biased against men.

History

Founded in 2005 by Rajesh Vakharia motivated by a personal experience where he was detained for five days after his ex-wife filed a false complaint under Section 498A. It took him 5 years to get acquitted. His legal journey during the case encouraged him to set up a civil rights movements to protest against the misuse of the law.[7]

Due to these draconian laws in India, around 92,000 husbands commit suicide each year owing to mental torture stemming from matrimonial dispute.[8] A basic investigation of the section 498A reveals that an arrangement which was initially incorporated to shield the women from the torture and harassment by the spouses or relatives tragically has been mishandled to problem the husband and his family. The Supreme Court in one of its decisions said that - "Yet by abuse of the arrangement (IPC,1860 498A - Dowry and Cruelty Law) another legitimate fear mongering can be released. The arrangement is proposed to be utilized as a shield and not a professional killer's weapon". [9]

SIFF is an advocacy group against what it calls misuse of Indian laws related to dowry harassment.[10] It is an umbrella organisation of a number of men's and family rights organisations spanned across Indian cities and provinces.[11] SIFF has supported the founding of other like-minded organisations, such as the "All India Mother in Laws Protection Forum"[12] and "All India Men's Welfare Association".[13]

Major Campaigns

On 19 November 2007, the "Save Indian Family Foundation" (SIFF) celebrated International Men's Day for the first time in India.[14][15]

2006–2010

In September 2008, SIFF filed a complaint against a Kitply plywood commercial to the Advertising Standards Council of India, for portraying a wife slapping her husband on her wedding day because of a creaking bed, alleging that the ad promoted domestic violence against men by portraying it as humorous. In the same month, Chennai-based organisation Indiya Kudumba Pathukappu Iyaakam, complained against a Pond's ad which labelled men as wife-beaters and an ICICI Prudential Insurance commercial which allegedly portrayed verbal and economical abuse against men.[16]

2010–2013

In September 2012, Ministry of Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath proposed a bill that would make it mandatory for husbands to pay a salary to their wives.[17][18][19] This move was criticised by men's rights groups and they sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention in the matter.[20][21]

In late 2012, Satyamev Jayate, an Indian TV show hosted by actor Aamir Khan, was criticized by men's rights activists. According to Anil Kumar, co-founder of SIFF, Khan had portrayed men negatively on the show and had projected only one side of the domestic violence issue.[22] In December 2012, about 15,000 men pledged to boycott Khan's film Talaash.

Phanisai Bhardwaj, a Lok Satta Party candidate in Karnataka assembly polls, was found out to be a member of Centre for Men's Rights, against the Section 498a of IPC and reservations in jobs or education, after he made a post on Facebook in April 2013. He faced a protest campaign against him on the blogosphere, which called the Lok Satta Party 'anti-women' and 'casteist.' Jayprakash Narayan, founder of Lok Satta Party, called Bhardwaj's position on women "unacceptable, and he was subsequently asked to withdraw his nomination.[23]

In August that same year, Hridaya, a Kolkata-based NGO raised concerns about the proposed Marriage Laws (Amendment Bill), 2010[24] which has been approved by the cabinet and cleared by Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by defence minister A. K. Antony. According to Amartya Talukdar, the bill, which introduces the concept of no-fault divorce and marital property is not fair for men. It will put the institution of marriage in jeopardy.[25]

On 21 December 2013, members of National Coalition for Men held a demonstration outside the offices of West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) in Kolkata, stating that former Supreme Court judge Asok Kumar Ganguly, and then chairman of WBHRC, was innocent until proven guilty. Ganguly had been accused of sexual harassment by a law intern. Amit Gupta, General Secretary of National Coalition for Men, said that even if the legal system of India and the UN Charter on Human Rights states that an accused is to be treated as innocent until proven guilty, Ganguly was being held as guilty and subjected to a media trial.[26]

In 2010, the group claimed on its website to have "30,000 members on the ground and over 3,500 on the internet who are fighting this legal terrorism with vigour and passion like commandos".

Activities

SIFF created an app and a helpline for men, which got over 25,000 phone calls in four months.[27]

The group campaigned against domestic violence legislation (such as Section 498a of the Indian Penal Code, (1983) and the Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act 2005), stating that these laws have been mis-used, and manipulated by Indian women. They assert that men are abused physically and are subject to legal, mental and social harassment by their wives because of these laws,[28] and that lawyers and women use them to extort money and family property and to deny child custody to fathers.[29] SIF members have sought to have the laws made gender neutral and be amended include protection of men against abuse by women.[30][31] The media comments that organization is insensitive to high rates of domestic physical abuse committed against women in India [32] In addition, they note the organization's use of 'strong language', including describing as "terrorist activity"  the support given by women groups for the domestic violence legislation, and describing the women politicians who spearhead the legislation as “modern Surpanakhas”.[32][33][34]

SIFF asserts that dowry harassment of women and their families is a figment of the feminist imagination,[35] and that the woman is the abuser in almost all cases of family abuse.[36] They campaign for decrimininalisation of anti-dowry offences, with the threat of imprisonment removed.[37] In contrast, police and women's groups have denied the group's claims of widespread misuse of anti-dowry laws, stating that only a small minority abuse the law,[31] and the approximately 7000 deaths of women every year who die due to dowry demands.[38][32]

SIFF has also advocated for the creation of a Men's Commission in India.[39] SIFF also protested against the 2010 Amendment to the Marriage Act.[40]

SIFF also spoke out against a 2022 court petition which could criminalize marital rape, and sponsored a "marriage strike".[41]

Elections

SIFF ran an independent candidate, Satish Babu SN, in the 2018 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election from B.T.M Layout constituency; he finished 7th, gathering 333 votes (0.24% of the total valid votes).[42]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Save Indian Family Foundation - FAQs". Save Indian Family Foundation. 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  2. ^ "फेमिनिस्टों को क्या मालूम कि पुरुषों पर कितना अत्याचार होता है ?". Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Decriminalize Dowry Act, demand Men's Activists". Ground Report India. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  4. ^ "SIFF - About Us". Save Indian Family Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2008.
  5. ^ "A DEMAND FOR A NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR MEN IN INDIA | New Male Studies". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ^ Chowdhury, Romit (2014). "Conditions of Emergence: The Formation of Men's Rights Groups in Contemporary India". Indian Journal of Gender Studies. 21 (1). SAGE Publications: 27–53. doi:10.1177/0971521513511199. ISSN 0971-5215. S2CID 144978025.
  7. ^ "Around 150 men perform last rites of marital relations, take dip in Ganges". Deccan Chronicle. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Men outnumber women in suicides in the country". The Hindu. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  9. ^ "A Study on Misuse of Section 498A of Indian Penal Code, 1860" (PDF). IJLMH. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  10. ^ ANI (29 November 2006). "Wife harassing you? Call for help". IBNLive. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2008.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference OPEN was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ George, Daniel P. (6 September 2009). "Moms-in-law of the world unite." The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  13. ^ Sengupta, Sudipta (31 October 2009). "Now, a forum for 'tortured' husbands". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  14. ^ "International Men's Day on Nov. 19". The Hindu. 17 November 2007. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  15. ^ Jason Thompson (2010). International Men's Day: The Making of a Movement. Soul Books. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-646-54972-9. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  16. ^ "Men's groups want 'offensive' ad off air". DNA India. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Soon, husbands to pay salary to their housewives!". Zee News. 4 September 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  18. ^ "Homemakers to get salaries according to new govt proposal". India Today. 9 September 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  19. ^ "Don't consider monthly income to housewives as salary: Krishna Tirath". The Economic Times. 11 September 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  20. ^ "Housewives in India may receive salaries from husbands". The National (Abu Dhabi). 20 September 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  21. ^ "Salary to the wife? Men's groups fume over proposed law". Rediff. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  22. ^ "15,000 men to boycott all Aamir's films until he apologises!". The Times of India. 2 December 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  23. ^ "Facebook posts trigger row". The Hindu. 21 April 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  24. ^ "THE MARRIAGE LAWS (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2010" (PDF). PRS Legislative Research. PRS India.
  25. ^ "Protest against Marriage Bill". The Statesman. 26 August 2013. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014.
  26. ^ "Men's rights group holds pro-Ganguly rally". The Hindu. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  27. ^ "Save India Family Foundation: Men's helpline gets 25,000 calls over four months in Kolkata". The Times of India. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  28. ^ Singh, Jangveer (26 November 2006). "Sour dates in India's Silicon Valley". Tribune News Service. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
  29. ^ Karnad, Raghu (3 December 2007). "Now, Is That Malevolence?". Outlook magazine. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  30. ^ Sandhu, Veena (7 November 2006). "Men new "victims" of domestic violence". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
  31. ^ a b Ramesh, Randeep (13 December 2007). "Dowry law making us the victims, says India's men's movement". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
  32. ^ a b c Gupta, Monobina (27 October 2006). ["Malevolence for women's law - Men go to PM against female 'terrorist activity' "Malevolence for women's law - Men go to PM against female 'terrorist activity'"]. The Telegraph, Calcutta. Retrieved 27 January 2007. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  33. ^ Bhattacharya, Chandrima S. (30 October 2006). "What are men scared of?". The Telegraph, Calcutta. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
  34. ^ Sengupta, Sudipta (31 October 2009). "Now, a forum for 'tortured' husbands". TOI. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  35. ^ Karnad, Raghu (3 December 2007). "Now, Is That Malevolence?". Outlook magazine. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  36. ^ Das, Radhika (8 June 2007). "Is the law biased against men?". Times of India. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
  37. ^ Ramesh, Randeep (13 December 2007). "Dowry law making us the victims, says India's men's movement". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
  38. ^ Ash, Lucy (16 July 2003). "India's dowry deaths". BBC News. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
  39. ^ Ovais, Dar (24 February 2019). "Rally seeking national panel for men on March 3 at Delhi's Jantar Mantar". Indian Express. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  40. ^ "Men's rights groups sore at marriage laws bill". Hindustan Times. 16 February 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  41. ^ Frayer, Lauren (8 February 2022). "Marital rape is still legal in India. A court decision could change that". NPR. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  42. ^ "Men's rights NGO to field independents in elections". 15 April 2018.

External links

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