Wed, Jun 25 08:25 PM
New
Delhi, June 25 (IANS) A meeting called Wednesday by Women and Child
Minister Development Renuka Chowdhury to discuss the law relating to
the harassment of women over dowry turned acrimonious after some 50 men
and their families barged into the venue, alleging the law was blind to
their torture at the hands of women.
The high drama lasted over
one hour at the India Islamic Cultural Centre here, with the minister
initially refusing to talk to the men when they barged in. She asked
them to withdraw from the small hall packed with women delegates,
including experts, psychiatrists and psychologists.
The men
trooped out shouting slogans. As they gathered outside the venue, the
police were called to maintain order. Chowdhury shouted back at them
and told them they would have to maintain peace if they wanted to be
heard.
After a while Chowdhury spoke to the men's group, representing the Gender Human Rights Society, and listened to their problems.
Chowdhury,
who was chairing the round table on building partnership with men
towards women's empowerment and gender equality, said the government
planned to review the law as complaints have been heard about violence
against men.
'It is wrong to say that domestic violence is only
seen among poor families. Educated men also are not afraid of hitting a
woman. Laws are there for protection and not against or in favour of
anyone,' the minister said.
One of the protesters was Neeraj
Aggarwal, the executive member of the Gender Human Rights Society, who
said they had received a number of complaints from elderly couples
about how their daughters-in-law had forced them out of their homes.
'We
see men who have been beaten up very badly. As the laws favour the
women, they register case against the husband and his entire family.
Even those who are not involved are charged and arrested,' he said.
Most
of these men were protesting against section 498 (A) of the Indian
Penal Code, under which the husband or relative of the husband of a
woman subjected to cruelty can be imprisoned for three years and also
fined.
Some of the protesters carried banners saying that radical
feminists supported the section. Most of the men also wore black badges
in protest.
'We want the law to be redrafted so that men are not victimised,' said society president Sandeep Bhartia.
Meeting with Ms. Renuka Choudhury, WCD
The meeting with WCD minister Ms. Renuka Choudhury, Ms. Kiran Chadda Secretary,
Ms Girija Vyas of NCW, Ms. Asmit of Lawyer's Collective, Gauri Choudhury, Ms. Jyotsna etc was a mixed one.
Save
Family Foundation Delhi, Pariwarik Suraksha Samity of Praveen Walia,
Pati Pariwar Kalyan Samity, Lucknow, Bharat Bhachao Sangathan Kolkata,
GHRS, Rakshak, etc were present there.
Initially
1 and 30 min, only UNIFEM people were talking. No one of us was allowed
to speak. When Sandeep tried to intervene he was threatened that he
would be thrown out. Then we realized that we will not be given any
chance to speak. Media was not allowed inside initially.
Then
Neeraj, Niladri, Wasif, Komal, Jeetu and plenty of plenty others (about
100 people) started Naarabaji. Then the voice of the shouting reached
inside. Renuka came outside to see what was happening.
All
the media stared taking bytes of Naarebaji, with black bands on our
hand. They started taking bytes of different persons, including ur
mothers and sister.
After that, the atmosphere inside changed. Our people were allowed to speak.
Dr
Anupama countered all the stats of UNIFEM with DV stats that of all
over the world that DV is not gender specific. DV by women versus men
are same as DV of men against women. But unfortunately as per DV act in
India and all study are biased. She challenged how your all study is
different which shows only men do DV in India. She also asked their
study report. Further she asked Renuka what about DV of women against
another women? Why the same not covered in DV act?
Renuka : No, it is already covered. Then all pupils started protesting and she was forced to referred the DV book.
Sushil
Kr Sharma of Mulkraj Foundation : Madam in last 1 year I have seen a
lot of change in you. Previously u used to talk only of wife's right.
Today at least u r talking about family rights.
Renuka : It is a compliment. Thank u.
Sudhir and all team members from back : Election is coming !!!
Sudhir : Madam, I want only 30 secs.
Renuka and her gang happy to give only 30 secs : OK
Sudhir
: Madam, u r the Women and Child Minister. And in India last 3 years,
1,20,000 mothers and sisters have been arrested under 498a without any
investigations which even the barbaric British Government has not done.
Are u not ashamed of it? Should I address u as wife minister only
instead of women minister?
Renuka was silent. All her other gang members try to divert the issue.
Dr Mrs. Indu Subhash tried to highlight the Late Pushkar Singh case of Lucknow, which Renuka said will deal separately.
Swarup
: If you would want partnership with men's group, we are ready , but I
want justice for 56000 husband who has dies due to suicide.
Renuka : But what about the 7000 wife who are burnt in dowry torture.
Swarup
: But more than double ladies are killed in Western Country and the
same termed as dowry death, where as all other country term the same as
Spouse murder. Indian men are different than western man. Further more
than 10000 unmarried women also died, why you do not ask to send their
parents to behind the bar?
Renuka : That is the reason I have married an Indian Man and also have two lovely daughter.
Swarup : Lekin apke koi beta neho hai. That is the reason u do not understand the pain of a mother whose son has died.
Renuka kept quite for a moment.
Renuka in a low voice : I am happy, I do no have a son
Swarup
: Now Madam, choice is with u. Whether as per records a western women
earns at least 4 times more than Indian women. Still more than 70%
children are father less. If such things continue, Indian also witness
the same. It is upto you to decide whether father less child will
increase the total crime and domestic violence in society or decease
it. Just think yourself and decide.
Later Renuka called the media and had a press conference.
After
the press conference Renuka called all the men, and their mothers and
sisters. She had an open discussion. Dr Kiran Chadda, Secretary, WCD
admitted that laws are misused and her own relatives are also
suffering.
She said that she is going to meet us again for detailed discussion.
Plenty of media covered us and the entire event.
(Photo Click Here)
Times of India - 'Pro-women laws being misused'
NEW
DELHI: Are we being fair on the not -so-fair sex? It would appear not.
Laws for protecting women like the anti-dowry legislation and the
domestic violence Act were vociferously opposed by men's groups on
Wednesday at a consultation initiated by the ministry for women and
child development and UNIFEM.
The burden of their argument was
that these laws don't follow the fundamental legal premise that a
person is innocent until he is proven guilty. "In 30% of the cases that
come to us, there is a rift between the woman and her in-laws where the
woman forces the man to choose between the two under the threat of
slapping Section 498A of the Dowry Prohibition Act on the husband and
his family," said Ashish from Save Indian Family (SIF). He added that
there should be a deterrent to prevent misuse of the law. Another
representative Hemant from SIF said that 1.2 lakh women (women
relatives of husbands) were arrested under the anti-dowry Act but the
ministry of women and child development minister was not doing anything
about it. "Are you a wife development or a woman development minister?"
he asked.
Dr Anumapa Singh, who counsels couples, pointed to
the anomaly in the domestic violence law in that the aggrieved party
could only be a woman while the respondent could only be a male. "We
have witnessed violence at home where the perpetrator is a woman. So
why does the law hold a man as the accused?" she wanted to know. TOI had
reacted to an observation of the Orissa chairperson of the state
commission for women on September 19, 2007, when she had said that
these laws were being abused. We had felt there should be checks on
such abuse and said, "In cases where a complaint is proved false beyond
doubt, the accuser must face a jail term." This would act as a
deterrent to the abuse of Sec 498A, we felt.
At the meeting on
Wednesday, however, the men's group wanted the laws to be scrapped
altogether β which is not such a good idea as it is undeniable that
many women do get harassed by greedy husbands and in-laws and need
legal protection. Sanjay Bhartia of the Gender Human Rights Society
said, "We have been opposing the domestic violence Act and have even
submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister last year on the issue,"
he said. Bhartia added that there was need to review the laws that were
radically tilted in favour of women and open to misuse.
Men's
organisations invited for the interaction landed up in huge numbers
with posters and banners, disrupting the consultation with their
sloganeering.
Faced with vehement opposition, WCD minister
Renuka Chowdhury admitted that she was open to change the law.
"Law-making is a dynamic process. We are ready to change the law but as
of now there will be no amendments to it," she said.
Reacting
to the constant allegations of misuse, Chowdhury said that there were
enough deterrents in the penal code to punish those found guilty of
misuse. She, however, did not spell out the deterrents.
Wednesday's
protest came at a time when the Delhi police commissioner has issued
instructions that only the husband and not the extended family can be
arrested in anti-dowry cases. Reacting sharply to this, National
Commission for Women chairperson Girija Vyas said, "If the anti-dowry
law is taken lightly, women will suffer a huge loss. Only 6% of the
cases are false under the Act."
Further News Reference:
As Renuka fights for women, men allege torture - AOL India News
As Renuka fights for women, men allege torture - Thaindian News
As Renuka fights for women, men allege torture @ NewKerala.Com ...
Govt to review domestic violence act: Renuka - Sify.com
Disclimer :This is totally writer personnel Views only. You may have different opinion. The name and place changed to protect the Persons Identity.
