http://mid-day.com/news/2009/dec/161209-shave-india-campaign-gillette-AIFWA-uma-challa.htm
‘Gillette is breaking families’By: Anshuman G Dutta |
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Archive for Uncategorized
Mid-day Reports On Women Against Male-bashing
After men-only NGOs raised their voice against the new campaign of Gillette, a multi-national brand of safety razors, which has launched a tirade against facial hair, a Hyderabad-based NGO, All India Forgotten Women’s Association (AIFWA), has also join hands with its male counterparts.Men Are Human Too
Today, 10 December 2009, marks the conclusion of the “16 Days of Activism Against Global Feminist Terrorism” by All India Men’s Welfare Association (AIMWA) and All India Forgotten Women’s Association (AIFWA).
Today, UN and all countries around the world are also observing Human Rights Day, with “non-discrimination” as this year’s theme.
Commenting on this year’s theme Mr. Ban Ki-moon said, “Discrimination targets individuals and groups that are vulnerable to attack: the disabled, women and girls, the poor, migrants, minorities, and all those who are perceived as different.”
Most people will not miss seeing the word “men” in the list of “vulnerable groups” mentioned above. I am sure majority of men, including the UN Secretary General himself, do not know that they belong in the list.
This is not surprising, as Mr. Ban Ki-moon himself said, “It is often those who most need their human rights protected, who also need to be informed that the Declaration exists — and that it exists for them.”
During our 16 Days of Activism Against Global Feminist Terrorism, we highlighted the serious human rights abuses that men are subjected to in the name of women’s rights and the collateral damages suffered by women, children and families.
While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights claims to be “a reaffirmation of the faith of the peoples of the UN in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women”, it is amply clear that in most parts of the world, men are not treated with the dignity and respect that human beings deserve.
On the contrary, social and legal discrimination against men and violation of their human rights are now projected as praiseworthy goals for all present nations and future generations.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:
- Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
- No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
- Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
- No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
In blatant violation of all the above rights, thousands of husbands and their families are arbitrarily arrested every year, without evidence or investigation, under IPC Sections 498A, 304B, Dowry Prohibition Act, and related laws which presume that the accused are “guilty until proved innocent”.
India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has noted the misuse of dowry laws, arrest of innocent individuals and the resultant overcrowding of prisons. NHRC has urged the judiciary and law enforcement agencies to take measures against these abuses.
Nevertheless, police routinely enter people’s homes at ungodly hours, take accused individuals into custody, and incarcerate them without bail for variable lengths of time, ranging from a couple of days to several months. Innocent citizens are illegally detained, humiliated, subjected to mental and physical torture, blackmail and extortion, driving many to commit suicide. The honor and reputation of these accused individuals is attacked through media trial and unrestrained slander by feminists every day.
The Universal Declaration of Human rights states:
- Men and women are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
- All are equal before the law, and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.
Family and marriage related laws in India exhibit nothing but discrimination against men and fathers. Men are blatantly denied social and legal protection from domestic abuse. Men suffering domestic abuse are compelled to endure several years of legal harassment and are often denied divorce citing “lack of strong grounds”.
Men also endure false allegations of abuse made by wives seeking divorce, and end up with a divorce they never wanted. Fathers are ruthlessly denied contact with their children, and forced to pay exorbitant sums of money as alimony and child support.
The Universal Declaration of Human rights states:
- Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
- No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
The Indian Domestic Violence Act empowers a wife to violate marital norms with impunity and claim residence and maintenance from the husband. Many men and their families are thrown out of or deprived freedom of movement in their own homes, upon baseless allegations of abuse made by unscrupulous wives.
Mr. Ban ki-moon asserts, “It is our duty to ensure that these (human) rights are a living reality — that they are known, understood and enjoyed by everyone, everywhere.”
It is ironical that the United Nations and its affiliate organizations sponsor these human rights violations and legal terrorism through feminist initiatives claiming to uplift and empower women.
On the occasion of Human Rights Day 2009, AIMWA and AIFWA urge you to raise your voice against global feminist terrorism, which is responsible for large scale human rights abuses against men and their kin.
We demand that the UN declares “Men are human too” as the theme for Human Rights Day 2010.
Other articles featured during the 16 Days of Activism:
Day 1: 16 Days of Activism Against Global Feminist Terrorism November 25 – December 10
http://aimwa.in/16-days-of-activism-against-global-feminist-terrorism-november-25-december-10
Day 2: Fact sheet on domestic violence against men in India
http://aimwa.in/fact-sheet-on-domestic-violence-against-men-in-india
Day 3: Beware boys! The female Taliban is coming for you!
http://aimwa.in/beware-boys-the-female-taliban-is-coming-for-you
Day 4: One in three victims of family violence is male
http://aimwa.in/one-in-three-victims-of-family-violence-is-male
Day 5: Rape Law: YES can mean NO
http://aimwa.in/rape-law-yes-can-mean-no
Day 6: Misuse of Sec. 498A of IPC and Dowry Prohibition Act
http://aimwa.in/misuse-of-sec-498a-of-ipc-and-dowry-prohibition-act
Day 7: Compromising National Security to Address Feminist Insecurity?
http://aimwa.in/compromising-national-security-to-address-feminist-insecurity
Day 8: The Myth of Women’s Oppression
http://aimwa.in/the-myth-of-women%e2%80%99s-oppression
Day 9: Domestic Violence – The Industry of Lies
http://aimwa.in/domestic-violence-%e2%80%93-the-industry-of-lies
Day 10: The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness
http://aimwa.in/the-paradox-of-declining-female-happiness
Day 11: Watch Out for Paternity Fraud!
http://aimwa.in/watch-out-for-paternity-fraud
Day 12: Feminists: So Say One, So Say Them All
http://aimwa.in/feminists-so-say-one-so-say-them-all
Day 13: Dowry death and bride burning: A look beyond the smoke screen
http://aimwa.in/dowry-death-and-bride-burning-a-look-beyond-the-smoke-screen
Day 14: “Committed to the cause of women” – The Trojan Horse of Indian Feminism
http://aimwa.in/committed-to-the-cause-of-women-the-trojan-horse-of-indian-feminism
Day 15: Fatherless Society – The Feminist Utopia
http://aimwa.in/fatherless-society-%e2%80%93-the-feminist-utopia
Dowry death and bride burning: A look beyond the smoke screen
The phrase “bride burning” conjures up images of a cruel husband and his family members dousing a young woman in kerosene, flinging a lighted matchstick on her and gloating as the hapless bride goes up in flames. The term “dowry death” also sparks off vivid imaginations of a woman being taunted and harassed for money and finally, hanged to death within the four walls of her house. We also have watched movies and TV serials where a malicious mother-in-law poisons the unsuspecting daughter-in-law’s meal or quietly causes a gas leak and locks the new bride in the kitchen right before she lights the stove to make tea for the family.
There must be many families who burn their brides for dowry as a routine practice otherwise, why would there be so many news reports about dowry deaths? As they say, there cannot be smoke without a fire. Right?
Feminists would have you believe that every unnatural or untimely death of a married Indian woman is dowry death. Not only that, the feminist hyperbole on “bride killing” and “dowry harassment” makes it look like Indian men have an uncanny propensity to commit violence on their wives for money, while men in other countries commit domestic violence for other reasons.
In reality, it is the number of registered suicides of married women which are passed off as statistics of dowry death, and even these numbers are almost always exaggerated. It has become a custom to claim that all the women have been “driven to suicide” due to dowry harassment.1-6 The husband and in-laws are immediately arrested under IPC Sections 304B and 498A and incarcerated for a couple of weeks to several months without bail. They are promptly subjected to media trial and labeled criminals even before investigation or trial can begin.
Even if all the noise about Indian brides being “driven to suicide” for dowry is indeed well-founded, one would expect that the number of suicides of married women would be significantly higher compared to that of unmarried women. However, the National Crime Records Bureau’s statistics show that there is no significant difference in the rates of suicide by married and unmarried women.
Justice Saldana’s remarks (in Crl.A. no. 589 of 2003) are testimony to how anti-dowry laws are being misused to the detriment of innocent citizens:
…we need to sound a note of caution that the police and investigating authorities should not improperly and technically jump to the conclusion that merely because death has occurred that ipso facto a criminal offense has been committed . In as many as 44% of these cases prosecution is thoroughly unjustified. Unless there is cogent and convincing evidence and unless there is material to sustain these charges, it would be totally impermissible and completely unjustified to embark upon legal action. The consequences of these charges are extremely grave because the accused husband and invariably family members are placed under arrest. There are serious social and economic repercussions.
The fact that we do come across considerable number of instances where prosecution was unjustified seems to indicate that in every case of death of young woman or recently married women that prosecution and filing of charge sheet has become automatic. There does not appear to be a proper application of mind at the stage of scrutiny and having regard to this position we direct the concerned authorities to ensure that requirements of the law are correctly and responsibly followed.
It is important to note that more than 56,000 married Indian men end their lives every year. According to statistics obtained from the National Crime Records Bureau, every year, twice as many married men, compared to women, commit suicides unable to withstand verbal, emotional, economic and physical abuse by their wives and in-laws. Deaths of these men make for the brief stories we often read in newspapers stating that a certain man “killed himself due to family issues or financial problems”. 7-12
Thanks to the concerted efforts of the feminists, thousands of men are also becoming victims of “legal terrorism” unleashed through laws like Sections 498A and 304B of the Indian Penal Code, Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act, adultery laws, laws against rape and sexual harassment, and even divorce, maintenance and child custody laws. Many men are ending their lives unable to endure the fear, humiliation and trauma caused by the legal harassment.13-18
While it is insisted that the death of every young married woman is a case of dowry death requiring immediate arrest of the husband and in-laws, accompanied by media-hype, male-bashing and breast-beating, driving thousands of men to commit suicide is considered social service in India.
Feminists have always wanted “dowry harassment” and “bride burning” to remain hot issues that fuel the Indian Domestic Violence Industry.
The feminist Taliban will surely burn in rage as we look beyond the smoke screen and call their bluff.
1. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/kem-doctor-suicide-police-register-dowry-case-against-husband/407514/
2. http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/11/stories/2007021114290300.htm
3. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/fivemonth-pregnant-woman-commits-suicide-3-held-for-dowry-harassment/275318/’
4. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/woman-commits-suicide-husband-held/494150/
5. http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/28/stories/2007032823500500.htm
6. http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_techie-held-for-suicide-of-wife_1252098
7. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Husband-commits-suicide-after-wife-calls-him-ugly-impotent/articleshow/3781322.cms
8. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Man-pining-for-separated-son-commits-suicide/articleshow/4382247.cms
9. http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/kolkata/Man-commits-suicide-on-metro-tracks/Article1-475927.aspx
10. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Man-commits-suicide/articleshow/5276875.cms
11. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Man-commits-suicide-at-Delhi-metro-station/432125/
12. http://www.kolkatamirror.com/index.aspx?page=article§id=13&contentid=2009111320091113132759296662d0415§xslt=
13. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/ministers-gunner-kills-self-fearing-dowry-charges-against-family/463274/
14. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/False-dowry-case-Man-kills-self/270124/
15. http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=%E2%80%98Harassed%E2%80%99+husband+commits+suicide&artid=QlzZUAwpVaA=&SectionID=Qz/kHVp9tEs=&MainSectionID=wIcBMLGbUJI=&SectionName=UOaHCPTTmuP3XGzZRCAUTQ==&SEO=
16. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/19204/treated-cruelly-wife-techie-ends.html
17. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/PSI-shoots-himself-dead-with-service-revolver/articleshow/5249121.cms
18. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?section=subcontinent&xfile=data/subcontinent/2008/february/subcontinent_february242.xml
PRESS RELEASE – Women Against Male-bashing
***P&G recently issued a Press Release in the name of “Women Against Lazy Stubble” http://shaveindia.com/pressrelease.php. This is not the first time that a company has resorted to male-bashing to sell its products. This is our call to all companies to STOP THE WAR AGAINST MEN AND BOYS and to put an end to MALE-BASHING.***
PRESS RELEASE
Women Against Male-bashing: “No more Excuses for P&G to Carry on Hate Campaigns!”
Hyderabad, 6th December 2009: Launching the ‘Stop the War Against Men and Boys’ movement – Women Against Male-bashing (W.A.M), a group of young women looking to attract all like-minded women across India, who believe that it is about time P&G stopped its anti-male commercials, are happy to announce that scores of average Indian women have joined their league to show that they love the men in their lives for who they are and not because of how often or how well they shave.
To further supplement their plans to expand their movement in the country, All India Forgotten Women’s Association (AIFWA) has come onboard to support their campaign by boycotting all the women’s products manufactured by P&G, no matter how inexpensive they are and spread the message that women will no longer put up with the gender war stoked by P&G. The support from AIFWA will enable W.A.M to reach a much wider audience through its strong network. Now that P&G’s cheap sales tricks and loony marketing stunts stand exposed, P&G doesn’t have any excuse for not stopping its hate campaign.
The message that WAM intends to spread to everyone across the country is three fold:
1. Till P&G doesn’t stop its vile, anti-male commercials, we will actively campaign against their products.
2. Now that P&G’s cheap tricks and loony stunts stand exposed, P&G doesn’t have any excuse for not stopping its hate campaign.
3. If P&G doesn’t hesitate to indulge in demeaning our men, they shouldn’t expect women to refrain from demeaning P&G either.
All balanced, intelligent, real women agree with the group’s sentiment emphasizing the importance of stopping the hate speech against men, “Yes! Grooming includes several things but the most important of them all, is CHOICE. When many men are comfortable with or choose to have facial hair, I really don’t see any reason why men should be compelled to shave. This is why I’ve decided to support the WAM movement. Because I genuinely believe that if men look good to themselves, we shouldn’t expect them to change for our sake”, said a young woman doing her Bachelors’ Degree.
Another young lady said, “Just because women spend hours in an effort to look good (regardless of the real outcome), does not mean men should sacrifice something they’d rather not, that is their time (even if it is only 5 minutes) or their stubble (no matter who likes or hates it)? Now that there is so much noise about CHOICE, what excuses are left for women? As WAM believes, I don’t think women are being forced to be with men with a stubble and it is rather sad that P&G does not care about how real women like to see their men, that is happy (shaven or unshaven).”
A member of AIFWA states, “The reason I decided to support the W.A.M movement is because, I, as a human being, empathize with the plight of the modern day man, who is expected to be nothing less than perfect in order to be spared of ridicule or hatred in the society. Present day women always have so many excuses for behaving the way they do, and are always talking about what they want. But now that male-bashing is promoted as a laudable pursuit by selfish companies like P&G and there is no price for being pig-headed and unfair, they really don’t see anything wrong in dictating terms to men. Yes, guys, this is what the flakes want. The verdict is finally out.”
Uma Challa, President of AIFWA commented on the organization’s support of the campaign, “When we conducted a survey of average Indian women, we found that over 90% of women prefer a reliable, decent, hardworking man (clean shaven, stubbly, or unshaven). W.A.M came about to let men know that real women love them for who they are and prefer that their men get the extra 5 minutes of sleep for all the hard work they do for the family and the society. We will do everything to support and scale it up to reach all like-minded women across the country. We have even introduced a new blog http://stubbleindia.wordpress.com/, in collaboration with All India Men’s Welfare Association, to remind men and boys that they don’t have to feel guilty if they don’t shave”
W.A.M envisions bringing together all women in India who detest P&G’s hate campaign against unshaven and bearded men. With the help of AIFWA and real women across the country, W.A.M will spread the core message of the movement – Stop the War Against Men and Boys!
While initially starting up, W.A.M is urging men and women from across the country to BOYCOTT all P&G products and protest against their anti-male ad campaigns.
C’MON PEOPLE!! Act now and let P&G know how you really feel…
About W.A.M.
Women Against Male-bashing (W.A.M.) is a movement that brings together all like-minded women who believe that the time has come for them to take a stand against anti-male speech and anti-male commercials. The founders of this movement are a group of young women who believe that EQUALITY should exist in all walks of life – especially CHOICE. The philosophy is straightforward – Men are human too. NO MORE EXCUSES FOR MALE-BASHING in the name of women’s empowerment!
Women Against Male-bashing: “No more Excuses for P&G to Carry on Hate Campaigns!”
Hyderabad, 6th December 2009: Launching the ‘Stop the War Against Men and Boys’ movement – Women Against Male-bashing (W.A.M), a group of young women looking to attract all like-minded women across India, who believe that it is about time P&G stopped its anti-male commercials, are happy to announce that scores of average Indian women have joined their league to show that they love the men in their lives for who they are and not because of how often or how well they shave.
To further supplement their plans to expand their movement in the country, All India Forgotten Women’s Association (AIFWA) has come onboard to support their campaign by boycotting all the women’s products manufactured by P&G, no matter how inexpensive they are and spread the message that women will no longer put up with the gender war stoked by P&G. The support from AIFWA will enable W.A.M to reach a much wider audience through its strong network. Now that P&G’s cheap sales tricks and loony marketing stunts stand exposed, P&G doesn’t have any excuse for not stopping its hate campaign.
The message that WAM intends to spread to everyone across the country is three fold:
1. Till P&G doesn’t stop its vile, anti-male commercials, we will actively campaign against their products.
2. Now that P&G’s cheap tricks and loony stunts stand exposed, P&G doesn’t have any excuse for not stopping its hate campaign.
3. If P&G doesn’t hesitate to indulge in demeaning our men, they shouldn’t expect women to refrain from demeaning P&G either.
All balanced, intelligent, real women agree with the group’s sentiment emphasizing the importance of stopping the hate speech against men, “Yes! Grooming includes several things but the most important of them all, is CHOICE. When many men are comfortable with or choose to have facial hair, I really don’t see any reason why men should be compelled to shave. This is why I’ve decided to support the WAM movement. Because I genuinely believe that if men look good to themselves, we shouldn’t expect them to change for our sake”, said a young woman doing her Bachelors’ Degree.
Another young lady said, “Just because women spend hours in an effort to look good (regardless of the real outcome), does not mean men should sacrifice something they’d rather not, that is their time (even if it is only 5 minutes) or their stubble (no matter who likes or hates it)? Now that there is so much noise about CHOICE, what excuses are left for women? As WAM believes, I don’t think women are being forced to be with men with a stubble and it is rather sad that P&G does not care about how real women like to see their men, that is happy (shaven or unshaven).”
A member of AIFWA states, “The reason I decided to support the W.A.M movement is because, I, as a human being, empathize with the plight of the modern day man, who is expected to be nothing less than perfect in order to be spared of ridicule or hatred in the society. Present day women always have so many excuses for behaving the way they do, and are always talking about what they want. But now that male-bashing is promoted as a laudable pursuit by selfish companies like P&G and there is no price for being pig-headed and unfair, they really don’t see anything wrong in dictating terms to men. Yes, guys, this is what the flakes want. The verdict is finally out.”
Uma Challa, President of AIFWA commented on the organization’s support of the campaign, “When we conducted a survey of average Indian women, we found that over 90% of women prefer a reliable, decent, hardworking man (clean shaven, stubbly, or unshaven). W.A.M came about to let men know that real women love them for who they are and prefer that their men get the extra 5 minutes of sleep for all the hard work they do for the family and the society. We will do everything to support and scale it up to reach all like-minded women across the country. We have even introduced a new blog http://stubbleindia.wordpress.com/, in collaboration with All India Men’s Welfare Association, to remind men and boys that they don’t have to feel guilty if they don’t shave”
W.A.M envisions bringing together all women in India who detest P&G’s hate campaign against unshaven and bearded men. With the help of AIFWA and real women across the country, W.A.M will spread the core message of the movement – Stop the War Against Men and Boys!
While initially starting up, W.A.M is urging men and women from across the country to BOYCOTT all P&G products and protest against their anti-male ad campaigns.
C’MON PEOPLE!! Act now and let your P&G how you really feel…
About W.A.M.
Women Against Male-bashing (W.A.M.) is a movement that brings together all like-minded women who believe that the time has come for them to take a stand against anti-male speech and anti-male commercials. The founders of this movement are a group of young women who believe that EQUALITY should exist in all walks of life – especially CHOICE. The philosophy is straightforward – Men are human too. NO MORE EXCUSES FOR MALE-BASHING in the name of women’s empowerment!
Compromising National Security to Address Feminist Insecurity?
When I was a little girl, I used to witness my brothers playing cricket with the other boys in the neighborhood. They seemed to have such a good time, bowling, batting, fielding, catching, screaming, falling over and rolling in the dirt. I insisted on playing with them even though they warned me that it would hurt.
They were gracious enough to allow me to play one day in order not to break my heart, but they couldn’t avert physical hurt. It was a hard cork ball for heaven’s sake and I, not too alert.
I sobbed until they felt sorry and bought a rubber ball for me, and allowed me to play “baby overs”, which meant I got three balls to bat on every turn.
I quickly understood that I wasn’t enjoying the game the same way as the boys could. I was not capable of playing by the standard rules of the game. I was not happy about concessions they made for me all the same.
I realized that if I really wanted to play, I had to assume all the risks that came my way.
This personal anecdote comes to mind whenever I hear feminists disparage many demanding and high risk careers as “male-dominated”, and seek concessions for the “weaker sex”.
In recent years, Senior Officers in the armed forces have been criticized by feminists for making “discriminatory” remarks and for not being able to accommodate women into all ranks, in all regiments and divisions of the three forces.
Politicians promptly take the bait and make tall promises in an urge to pacify their perceived “female vote bank”.
Union Defence Minister Mr. A.K Anthony, who had initially cited “operational reasons to rule out inducting women as combatants into the armed forces”, changed his mind two days later, on the occasion of Women’s Day 2008, and declared, “I’m sure that at some point of time it will happen.”
Former Defence Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee once went to the extent of saying, “We are encouraging more and more women to participate in the armed forces…They should be encouraged not only to equal pay, equal allowances and other opportunities, but we should create an atmosphere where they feel comfortable.” Mr. Mukherjee also envisioned “setting up of institutional arrangements for enhancing their (women’s) level of comfort”.
That is indeed very “gender-sensitive” of Mr. Mukherjee, but I wonder how such politicians propose to fulfill their promises, at what cost and at whose expense!
In a game of “galli cricket”, it is easy to replace a cork ball with a rubber ball and introduce “baby overs”. But what about a career in the armed forces especially involving combat duties? Can we provide “pansy training” and expect “rubber bullets” in the battlefield? Are we going to go as far as compromising National Security for pampering women, and call it women’s empowerment?
In a recent article (link shown below), Seema Goswani provides a candid and incisive commentary on the issue of recruiting women as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force. I hope the politically correct Government authorities, politicians and citizens are listening.
http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleImage.aspx?article=29_11_2009_338_002&kword=&mode=1
When I was a little girl, I used to witness my brothers playing cricket with the other boys in the neighborhood. They seemed to have such a good time, bowling, batting, fielding, catching, screaming, falling over and rolling in the dirt. I insisted on playing with them even though they warned me that it would hurt.
They were gracious enough to allow me to play one day in order not to break my heart, but they couldn’t avert physical hurt. It was a hard cork ball for heaven’s sake and I, not too alert.
I sobbed until they felt sorry and bought a rubber ball for me, and allowed me to play “baby overs”, which meant I got three balls to bat on every turn.
I quickly understood that I wasn’t enjoying the game the same way as the boys could. I was not capable of playing by the standard rules of the game. I was not happy about concessions they made for me all the same.
I realized that if I really wanted to play, I had to assume all the risks that came my way.
This personal anecdote comes to mind whenever I hear feminists disparage many demanding and high risk careers as “male-dominated”, and seek concessions for the “weaker sex”.
In recent years, Senior Officers in the armed forces have been criticized by feminists for making “discriminatory” remarks and for not being able to accommodate women into all ranks, in all regiments and divisions of the three forces.
Politicians promptly take the bait and make tall promises in an urge to pacify their perceived “female vote bank”.
Union Defence Minister Mr. A.K Anthony, who had initially cited “operational reasons to rule out inducting women as combatants into the armed forces”, changed his mind two days later, on the occasion of Women’s Day 2008, and declared, “I’m sure that at some point of time it will happen.”
Former Defence Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee once went to the extent of saying, “We are encouraging more and more women to participate in the armed forces…They should be encouraged not only to equal pay, equal allowances and other opportunities, but we should create an atmosphere where they feel comfortable.” Mr. Mukherjee also envisioned “setting up of institutional arrangements for enhancing their (women’s) level of comfort”.
That is indeed very “gender-sensitive” of Mr. Mukherjee, but I wonder how such politicians propose to fulfill their promises, at what cost and at whose expense!
In a game of “galli cricket”, it is easy to replace a cork ball with a rubber ball and introduce “baby overs”. But what about a career in the armed forces especially involving combat duties? Can we provide “pansy training” and expect “rubber bullets” in the battlefield? Are we going to go as far as compromising National Security for pampering women, and call it women’s empowerment?
In a recent article (reproduced below), Seema Goswani provides a candid and incisive commentary on the issue of recruiting women as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force. I hope the politically correct Government authorities, politicians and citizens are listening.
Rape Law: YES can mean NO
A woman in Chennai happened to notice a missed call alert in her mobile phone and returned the call. The recipient of the call was a man. What started off as a matter of curiosity quickly turned into regular phone conversations which, after a few weeks, culminated in a face-to-face meeting and, finally, a whirlwind romance.
A few months later, the man’s name and picture were flashed in a widely circulated newspaper, along with the news that he was charged of rape and arrested under sections 366 (Kidnapping) and 376 (Rape) of the Indian Penal Code. The woman’s version of the story was published in detail but her identity was kept secret for “security” reasons. The editor seemed to have run out of space or forgot to fill in the man’s version.
Nobody was surprised at the news. After all, we have been told, “a male is, prima facie, a rapist!”
According to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, a man is said to have committed rape if he has had sexual intercourse with a woman against her will and without her consent.
The definition of rape does not end there!
Even if a woman has given her consent for sex, the man would be deemed to have committed rape when
• her consent has been obtained by putting her or any person in whom she is interested in fear of death or of hurt.
• the man knows that he is not her husband, and that her consent is given because she believes that he is another man to whom she is or believes herself to be lawfully married.
• at the time of giving such consent, by reason of unsoundness of mind or intoxication or the administration by him personally or through another of any stupefying or unwholesome substance, she is unable to understand the nature and consequences of that to which she gives consent.
In addition, a male having sex with a female under sixteen years of age is rape regardless of whether the act is done with or without her consent.
What is striking, at the outset, is the inherent bias in the definition of rape itself. According to this law, rape is a criminal act that is committed by a man against a woman. Not only that, the crime is entirely in the mind of the female “victim”.
Another aspect that stands out in this law, as with many other “pro-women” laws, is the urge to protect the female AT ANY COST, even if it means innocent men are thrown into jail, the judicial system is taken for a ride, and public resources and time are squandered to satisfy the whim of a dishonest, criminal minded, depraved woman.
People often ask, “Why would a woman lie about being raped?” The answer is “Why wouldn’t she?” When a crime is so loosely defined and when the law is severely biased towards the woman, and when the sole testimony of the female “victim” is enough to charge or convict the accused, why would it not tempt a mischievous woman to misuse it?
There are innumerable cases of celebrities being threatened of rape complaints by fortune-hunting vixens. Successful businessmen, fashion designers, film producers, publishers, and many other simple, honest, decent men are among those who have been threatened and falsely charged of rape.
The judiciary, oozing compassion towards the “fairer” sex, has only helped in emboldening women to play both “Madame Bovary” and “Pavitra Bharatiya Nari” as per their own convenience.
The following excerpts from a judgment of the apex court of India illustrate the point:
“It is a settled law that the victim of sexual assault is not treated as accomplice and as such, her evidence does not require corroboration from any other evidence including the evidence of a doctor. In a given case even if the doctor who examined the victim does not find sign of rape, it is no ground to disbelieve the sole testimony of the prosecutrix”
What? The testimony of the victim is the gospel truth? What is the basis for such presumption of veracity? The judgment provides a simple answer to these questions:
“Indian women have tendency to conceal such offence because it involves her prestige as well as prestige of her family. Only in few cases, the victim girl or the family members have the courage to go before the police station and lodge a case.”
It is no wonder that former Union Law Minister Ram Jethmalani, said, “Before I could go to bed with a woman, I would have to call a notary public.’’
Legal experts have observed that rape complaints are often made by women who have been jilted, by minor girls who have had consensual relationships with older men, by commercial sex workers who have been shortchanged by their clients and by women who are just “caught in the act”. They have observed instances where women admitted to having consensual sex but claimed to have done it “out of fear”, thus, taking advantage of the loopholes in the law and the credibility they enjoy under the law. As the burden of proof is on the accused man, he has to produce evidence that he had consensual sex with the complainant woman.
Unfortunately, the sneering quips and serious observations by many legal experts and police officers have not been able to improve the situation with the rape law and its implementation.
The reason for this deplorable situation -
Radical feminists have successfully tied the hands of the police, gagged the judiciary and blindfolded the public to advance their agenda of hate and malice against the entire male gender.
Police officers claim that they are always under intense pressure from feminists and fear being attacked by women’s rights activists if they are not prompt in registering rape cases and framing charges.
While radical feminists over-zealously fight to make existing provisions harsher and demand more and more absurd laws, it is heyday for criminal minded women. News reports show that incidents of women extorting money from men under the threat of registering false rape complaints have become commonplace.
Despite having caused so much damage and creating so much fear in the society through the rape law, the female Taliban still feels that “Feminist Utopia” will not be achieved until they bring the legally wedded husband’s head under the guillotine too.
They claim that the rape law is not loaded against men. They, in fact, think that the Government should broaden the scope of the rape law by including marital rape.
We should not be surprised if our Government buckles under pressure and concedes to their outrageous demands, but we should not forget to ask the Government one question:
Which law is going to protect all the men, women and children of our country who are being gang-raped by the feminist Taliban?
About the Authors:
S. Krishnamurthy is a representative of the All India Men’s Welfare Association, and is working for the protection and welfare of men and boys.
And
Uma Challa is the President of All India Forgotten Women’s Association, a group fighting against the misuse of protections and privileges granted to women.
Dads on the Air – International Mens Day Special
Source: http://www.dadsontheair.net/
- International Mens Day SpecialNovember 16, 2009
With special guests:
- Dr. Elizabeth Celi
- Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh
- Diane A. Sears
- Jason Thompson
- Frank Crump and
- Uma Challa
We dedicate the whole of this weeks’ program to International Mens Day, which is finally and deservedly starting to get more recognition and traction around the world. Warwick Marsh, Dads4Kids who is the Global Coordinator for IMD, set the scene last week on Dads on the Air when he spoke about some of the events taking place in Australia and around the world to celebrate this important International event.
Our guests this week are from 3 different continents, representing millions of good and decent men around the globe, who currently witness themselves being publicly and relentlessly maligned on a daily basis. While there are exceptions to every rule, these should never be used to misrepresent the whole group in the way we now see men being portrayed.
We commence our International lineup of guests with Australia’s Dr Elizabeth Celi quality living who is the keynote speaker at the IMD function to be held at Australian Parliament House in the Nations’ Capital, Canberra, on the19th November. Dr.Celi is a strong supporter of the rights of men to be treated as an equal in a modern society, instead of having to face the daily injustices that confront them in many sectors of our community.
Next we speak with Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh from Trinidad in the West Indies, who is the founder of IMD and described the event in the following manner, “International Men?s Day is about addressing the challenges and problems that men face; improving gender relations between men and women; promoting gender equality; highlighting positive male role models – not just movie stars and athletes – but “everyday working class men who are living decent, honest lives”; and creating a safer and better world”.
We then speak with Diane A. Sears, IMD Coordinator in the USA, who puts it this way, “We must work together as a team. International Mens Day provides us with a great opportunity. Strong fathers create and sustain efficiently functioning family units which positively shape the minds and souls of our children – our future – our bridge to the future. After all, isn?t it really about our children?”
The person responsible for Global Promotions, who is also the Historian and Coordinator for IMD is Australia’s Jason Thompson and our next guest, who would like to take this opportunity to ask individuals and organizations who are planning an event to contact him with the details at: soulgany@bigpond.com
The following guest is Frank Crump from the USA and UPI Education, who with IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD® have entered into a partnership in observance of International Men’s Day 2009 on Thursday, 19 November 2009. UPI Education is asking students, faculty, and administrators to observe International Men’s Day 2009 through one moment of silence beginning at 11:19 A.M. (EST) and ending at 11:20 A.M. (EST) to commemorate and contemplate the sacrifices and contributions that Men have made throughout the world. UPI Education is also soliciting essays, articles, and poems from students and adults which identify the positive male role models that have influenced their lives. These essays, articles, and poems will be published on IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD®’s blog.
We conclude our program interviewing one of the hardest working and passionate promoters of equality and justice for all, Uma Challa from India. Uma Challa is the IMD Coordinator for India. She made the point that, “International women?s Day is celebrated the world over every year but we also need to have a celebration every year to recognize and honor men: our fathers, brothers, partners, sons, male friends and colleagues; for the numerous services they render and the innumerable sacrifices they make to ensure the health and well-being of the family and the society.”
Press Release – International Men’s Day – 2009
PRESS RELEASE
International Men’s Day – 19 November 2009
Men and women across the world will be celebrating International Men’s Day on Thursday, 19 November 2009. International Men’s Day was celebrated for the first time in Trinidad and Tobago on 19 November 1999.
India celebrated International Men’s Day for the first time in the year 2007. This year, India celebrates International Men’s Day for the third time along with Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Australia, United States, Singapore, United Kingdom, Malta, South Africa, Georgia, New Zealand, Moldova, Germany, Holland and Brazil and other nations around the globe.
Men’s and fathers’ rights groups across the country are planning activities on International Men’s Day 2009 to recognize and honor the selfless sacrifices of men and to celebrate men’s invaluable contributions to families, communities, and society. On this occasion, bike and car rallies will be conducted in all major cities in the country like Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Lucknow, Nagpur and Delhi, to reach out to the public and encourage them to celebrate this day.
International Men’s Day is a call for international collaboration to address the challenges and problems men face; for improving gender relations between men and women; for promoting gender equality; and for highlighting positive male role models.
Problems men face:
Every day, men face many of the same problems that women do. These include physical and emotional health issues, work related stress, financial difficulties, problems with family and relationships, and more serious problems like domestic violence, harassment at workplace and sexual abuse. In addition, they suffer legal harassment, financial abuse and forced separation from children through women-centric laws.
Men are conditioned to stifle their emotions and endure pain without complaining. Men hesitate to express themselves for the fear of being ridiculed or discredited. International Men’s Day is an occasion to remind ourselves that men are human, that they experience pain, emotions and tears, and that they deserve our love, care, protection and support every day.
Improving gender relations:
For the last several decades, governments across the world and society tacitly approved the propagation of anti-male sentiments, condoned the resultant diminution in value of men’s lives and supported blatant violation of men’s rights through discriminatory laws and policies, all in the name of women’s rights and empowerment.
This has resulted in a gender war, and led to a steep rise in divorce rates, number of fatherless children, violence against men and number of men ending their own lives. International Men’s Day is an occasion to remind everyone of the need to restore stability in the society by promoting harmony between men and women.
Promoting gender equality:
Women’s empowerment and gender equality are two oft-repeated phrases today. It is sad enough that there are many who take great pride in wearing these labels while remaining completely oblivious of their true import. What is worse is that radical women’s groups and vested interests have successfully subverted the real meaning and purpose of women’s empowerment and gender equality, and are promoting discrimination, injustice and serious human rights abuses in the name of gender equality.
Domestic and social harmony will prevail only when women AND men are ensured their rightful, honorable place within and outside the home. International Men’s Day is an occasion to commit ourselves to ensure true gender equality in the society and under law, so that gender relations are improved, litigations are reduced, legal terrorism and extortion through misuse of the law is eliminated, and our human and financial resources can be employed to ensure a better society for ourselves and future generations.
Highlighting positive male role models:
It is commonplace to idolize movie stars and athletes as role models everywhere in the world. While being overzealous about celebrating and honoring famous personalities, we tend to ignore that every day,
• Men render many services that make the society comfortable for everyone.
• Men make many contributions to science, technology and health of all.
• Men perform the most dangerous and difficult jobs in the world.
• Men take risks and die to save other lives during calamities and war.
• Men bring humor into our lives and make us laugh.
International Men’s Day is an occasion to highlight and promote positive role models in all walks of life. It is a day to remind ourselves to honor all men – academic achievers, social leaders, champions of the environment, artists, comedians, soldiers, farmers, fishermen, fire fighters, and those more humble males who, on a daily basis, clean our streets, build our houses, fix our vehicles, police our streets, deliver newspapers and milk, care for children, and dedicate themselves to others. It is a day to remember that we must celebrate all men in our lives – our fathers, brothers, partners, sons, male friends, neighbors and colleagues.
On this great and joyous occasion, we request all members of the print and electronic media to join us in spreading our message to the entire world.
Organizations observing International Men’s Day in India:
All India Forgotten Women, Andhra Pradesh Mothers-in-law Protection Association, Mothers and Sisters Initiative, Children’s Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting, All India Men’s Welfare Association, Gender Human Rights Society, Save Indian Family Foundation, Pati Parivar Kalyan Samiti, Save Family Foundation, Save Family Harmony Foundation, Bhavya Foundation, Rishtey, All India Mothers-in-law Protection Association and Hridaya Foundation.
International Men’s Day – 19 November 2009
November 19 is International Men’s Day
• Men protect and provide for families.
• Men render many services that make the society comfortable for everyone.
• Men make many contributions to science, technology and health of all.
• Men perform the most dangerous and difficult jobs in the world.
• Men take risks and die to save other lives during calamities and war.
• Men bring humor into our lives and make us laugh.
These men are…
…academic achievers, social leaders, champions of the environment, artists, comedians, soldiers, farmers, fishermen, fire fighters, and those more humble males who, on a daily basis, clean our streets, build our houses, fix our vehicles, police our streets, deliver newspapers and milk, care for children, and dedicate themselves to others.
These men are…
…our fathers, brothers, partners, sons, male friends, neighbours and colleagues.
On the occasion of International Men’s Day, let us remind ourselves that
- Men are human;
- Men experience pain, emotions and tears; and
- Men deserve our love, care, protection and support.
Let us recognize and honor men
for the numerous services they render
and the innumerable sacrifices they make
for the health and well-being of our families and society!!!
ALL INDIA FORGOTTEN WOMEN
ANDHRA PRADESH MOTHERS-IN-LAW PROTECTION ASSOCIATION
MOTHERS AND SISTERS INITIATIVE
CHILDREN’S RIGHTS INITIATIVE FOR SHARED PARENTING
International Men’s Day, 2008 – India
International Men’s Day, 2008 – India
The inseparability of the male and female entities in the Universe was recognized by Indians as early as the Vedic times. This beautiful sentiment is manifested through the representation of Goddess Parvathi (Uma) and Lord Siva (Maheswara), known as “the parents of the Universe”, as UmaMaheswara or Ardhanareeswara (half-man, half-woman). This representation indicates that while both the female and male forms have their own individual identities and strengths, they are still interdependent. They complement each other and, it is only by combining their individual strengths that they are able to create and nurture life in the Universe. This divine couple is considered by Indians as an example to be emulated by all human beings.
Import of Western thought on individualism over the last few centuries has led to the erosion of many wonderful Indian values, including the one of male-female unity. Equating individualism with independence has caused many cracks in the much-envied Indian family structure. Radical feminist ideas, which are based on anti-male, anti-family ideologies, have resulted in a gender war. Consequently, divorce rates, numbers of fatherless children, violence against men and numbers of men committing suicides are all on the rise. The time has come to remind ourselves of our pride-worthy Indian values and to restore stability in the society by promoting harmony between men and women.
It is well known that International Women’s Day is celebrated worldwide on 8 March. Dedicating a special day for women is indeed a great way to celebrate womanhood and all the contributions of women, both within and outside the family.
By the same token, Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF) and its sibling organizations adopted 19 November as International Men’s Day in the year 2007 to recognize and honor men; our fathers, brothers, partners, sons, male friends and colleagues; for the numerous services they render and the innumerable sacrifices they make to ensure the health and well-being of the family and the society.
SIFF also launched an International campaign to build a consensus on the celebration of International Men’s Day across the world. To our great delight, Mr. Warwick Marsh of the Fatherhood Foundation in Australia responded to our campaign and, thanks to his ceaseless efforts, Australia will be joining hands with India and celebrating its first International Men’s Day on 19 November 2008.
On International Men’s Day 2008, our sentiments will be echoed in cities across India including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Nagpur, Lucknow, Bangalore and Hyderabad through the activities of various local chapters and organizations working towards family harmony and gender equality.
On this occasion, SIFF would also like to review the present status of men in the Indian society and highlight the need to accord men the privileges and protections that they rightly deserve as fellow humans. We will be reiterating our demand for a “Ministry for Men’s Welfare”, in addition to gender-neutral legal provisions and policies that ensure women and men their rightful, honorable place within and outside the home.
