A forum of NGOs working for men's rights has demanded that the party forming government after the Lok Sabha polls create a separate ministry and a national commission for the protection of men's rights in the wake of "misuse" of dowry laws and registration of "false" sexual harassment cases.
The National Coalition for Men (NCM), a coalition of about 50 organisations fighting for men's rights, has released a 10-point charter of demands to be considered by political parties for the Lok Sabha election.
NCM said they wanted to highlight the increasing rate of "innocent married and unmarried men" falling prey to "gender biased" laws.
Besides a ministry and a commission for men, the NCM's charter, named 'Men-I-Festo', included converting 'gender biased laws' to gender neutral ones, forming a task force to probe suicide by married men and a helpline number for men in distress, NCM president Amit Gupta told PTI.
Politicians, cutting across party lines, however, remained non-committal on these demands, it said.
"If political parties consider our demand its good, or we will make sure that a huge number of married and unmarried men who have suffered due to gender biased laws, boycott the Lok Sabha elections," Gupta said.
"We feel that formation of men's ministry and men's rights body will address the issues concerning men. Gender biased laws should be made gender neutral," NCM president Amit Gupta told PTI.
"Men's right are also human rights. Being pro-man will not make one anti-woman. But in India, men are on a legally barren land where they are assumed guilty until proved innocent," said D S Rao, president of NGO, Hridaya: Nest of Family Harmony, a constituent of the NCM.
NCM is a coalition spread across 50 cities of 20 states across India.
