Harassed Husbands

Our society is conditioned to believe that a husband can never be harassed by his wife. A man has been deprived for many decades of any legal, social or economic support only because he is a male-gender. The gender discrimination against men is so pervasive and common yet nobody seems to realize it. People still find it uncomfortable to accept that a woman can harass a man. Such narrow-mindedness of the people is responsible for many innocent men being deprived of justice. Laws are been enacted by showing a delusive purpose to protect the so-called ‘rights’ of women, which is subsequently enabling women to legally harass and blackmail their husband and in-laws. Everybody knows that these laws are not women’s ‘rights’; they are given excessive legal ‘powers’ to harass and blackmail innocent families.  

IPC 498A (dowry law) was enacted to protect women from unlawful dowry demands is now become a formidable weapon to harass and blackmail the husband and in-laws. 98% of the cases filed under this law are false. It means women intimidate and blackmail their husband and in-laws to agree to her terms, any terms, and if they refuse, the woman will go and file a dowry harassment complaint against her husband and in-laws in the police station. It is a very cruel form of harassment because the police will first arrest and put them behind bars. It is non-bailable. Bail can be availed from the Magistrate, which could take from few days to few weeks and sometime months. Innocent family is legally terrorized, tortured and blackmailed. The police, lawyers and the court enjoy the show where a woman posing as a victim is legally harassing the innocent husband and in-laws. The woman will then demand a mind-blowing amount of money to settle the case in which the court, police and the lawyer will act as a facilitator to the woman. The husband will go bankrupt; let alone the social stigma, emotional trauma and humiliation that he and his family will face.

There is absolutely no legal or social recourse or ‘rights’ for these harassed husbands. Why? The society continues to live in the dark and perceives that male-gender needs ‘nothing’. Such harsh and inhuman treatment toward male-gender still continues. The harassment of husbands is increasing exponentially and more disturbing is that even after knowing the helplessness of these families; the Government passed Domestic Violence Act. Shockingly, the executor of this law, Minister of Women and Child Development, Renuka Chaudhury, boldly said, “It is not a bad idea if innocent men suffer after DV act.” Such statement does expose the deception of these women groups/organizations, who are proposing such laws to the Government under the garb of protecting women. They only want to enslave men, torture innocent families, and blackmail them for money using these biased and draconian laws. Not providing legal protection for men under DV Act shows that feminists want to protect those women who will happily misuse this law to harass the innocent, hapless husband and in-laws.

Now men are totally helpless, vulnerable and constantly exposed to legal threat and consequences even when they are innocent. He is considered guilty until proven innocent only because he is a male-gender. Such brutal discrimination has never been seriously considered maybe because most of the people are deceived to believe that only women are victims, and some men who want to oppose against such discrimination are silenced by press media. When a woman wants her story to be published posing as a victim accusing her husband, the press media immediately publishes with a male-bashing heading and assassinates the character of the accused with no proof or evidence. On the other hand, when a victimized man wants her story to be published exposing the cruelty of his wife, the press media seeks the statement of the wife and prints her side of the story, which invariably accuses the male victim of dowry harassment or domestic violence directing the article against the victimized man. Male-hating feminists have flourished in India primarily because press media violates the code of conduct of journalism when it comes to appeasement of these women groups.

With the increasing harassment on husbands, the status of women has dramatically changed. Women are no longer perceived as victims. People are now beginning to doubt women, who are now able to be victim by choice. She knows that her one statement can portray her victim even if she is the culprit, and she is using that unconditional credibility to her advantage. She is now ever more violent and abusive. She can physically assault - let alone emotional abuse - her husband and still play victim. Especially when a woman is violent and abusive, and also equipped with such draconian law, whoever marrying her will end up in jail. Unfortunately, the man realizes the abusive nature of his wife only after he gets married. People are still reluctant to speak against such abusive women and support harassed husbands. This inconsiderate disposition toward men is costing many innocent lives and these women are more than happy to pose as victims and legally harass their innocent husband and in-laws.

Finally, the label of a victim infinitely attached to a woman has now been broken. Ironically, the more feminists portray all women as victims with the help of press media, the more people will realize that women have been given excessive powers in the name of ‘rights’ to harass innocent families. How many more innocent husbands and in-laws need to be legally tortured by women for the people to realize that men, too, need legal protection ‘now’? 

5:59 AM - Monday, December 18, 2006