Top ministry officials said they do not expect Chowdhary to yield to the demand from male groups for β€œgender-equal” laws, though some of their proposals may be considered. Instead, the minister could use the forum to try and explain to men β€œthe need for laws favouring women”.

The groups argue that the laws against dowry and domestic violence against women as well as the proposed β€œsexual harassment at the workplace” legislation are discriminatory against men and open to misuse.

The meeting, scheduled for June 25, will be held at the India Islamic Cultural Centre in Delhi. Over a hundred male activists have been invited, ministry sources said.

In the past seven months, the ministry has thrice drawn up plans to organise the meeting, but these were cancelled by Chowdhary. Though the official reason given was that unplanned commitments had cropped up, sources close to the minister said she wanted to be β€œfully prepared” with legal advice.

β€œNow that the minister is ready, we are hosting the meeting at a public location where the media will be allowed, because we have nothing to shy away from,” an official said.

Swarup Sarkar, the co-ordinator of Save Family Foundation, an umbrella group of men’s organisations that works in cohesion with similar groups abroad, said he had not received an invite.

β€œThis is a landmark meeting, and the minister, on earlier occasions, had promised us she would invite us. An official from the ministry has informed us about the meeting, but we have not received any official invitation,” he said.

An office-bearer of Rakshak Foundation β€” a group of NRI men from across the world campaigning against India’s dowry law β€” said they had not received an invitation either.

The concept note for the June 25 meet lists some of the key changes that the men’s groups want. The words β€œwoman” and β€œman” should be replaced with β€œperson” in the proposed law against harassment at work. Similarly, β€œvictim” and β€œaccused” should replace β€œwife” and β€œhusband” in the domestic violence law, they have demanded.

The anti-dowry law is frequently misused, the men say. At present, it is mandatory for police to arrest all the accused named by the woman or her family before even starting investigations. The men’s groups want either prima facie evidence to be made necessary for any arrests or a provision to punish the complainant if the charges are found mala fide.

This is a call for action to expose the duplicity . 

We are not sure where in Renuka sent invites to 100 male activists frankly . There do not exist such apart from the groups which are part in SIF , associated to SIF or those who are partially dissociated from SIF . Otherwise there are no other groups at all .

These 100 odd people that renuka mentions  are basically male members of womens organisation or paid folks who have never helped any man facing terrorism under Domestic violence and 498a laws.

Lets Go Delhi on 25th June,2008.

Delhi volunteers are  giving  a call for Action but it is your responsibility on behalf of all of us to attend outside the venue in T-shirts and distribute pamplets. Try to ensure the participation of your mothers , sisters , fathers and every one .

Think this is the day your 498a is getting discharged will you not attend.

And do not expect anything from renuka, she is not in mood but the mesage will go to The MPs MLAs.

After all Pramilla Naisergi's constituency saw 10000 pamplets distributed against her and she lost which means we can make Male Hating politicians lose.

Please note it is just  an assembly and not a protest .