Hyderabad, April 22: They are abused and harassed. They have to choke back their tears and look strong, lest they are misjudged and ridiculed. Their sorrows get unnoticed and they are afraid to cry out for help. Yes, these are men, the silent victims of domestic violence who are desperately trying to make their woes heard.
The Domestic Violence Act that came into force in 2005 says that a wife or live-in partner can file a complaint against her husband/partner and his family members in case of any abuse or torture. Though the Act addresses the age-old abuse and dowry harassment of women, men, however, complain that there is no provision in it to protect them.
“Domestic violence is not a gender issue.
Men and women both can be victims of it.
Our mission is to ask for an amendment so that the law is gender-neutral. There have been cases where women have misused the Domestic Violence Act and the Dowry Act but there are no laws to protect the Indian men,” says Uma Challa, president of All India Men’s Welfare Association (AIMWA), an NGO that deals with men subjected to domestic violence and counsels them.
According to a research by the AIMWA and another NGO, Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF), it was found that most men victims suffer from verbal, economic and emotional abuse and some extreme cases of physical violence. They face violence not only from their female partners but also from in-laws. “Women find it easier to express themselves but men have a problem expressing their feelings. Even though we have help lines, many of the cases go unreported. Due to domestic violence, men go into depression and some even try to commit suicide,” explains Uma Challa. She adds that it is not just the lack of legal crutches but even society does not look kindly upon emotionally abused men, as they are considered weak.
Organisations like AIMWA, which have centres all over the country, receive 4-5 calls a day from distressed men. “There was a case of domestic violence where the woman filed a complaint of physical abuse against her husband, when he was asked what induced him to be violent he said his wife threw hot coffee on him. Domestic violence cannot be gender-defined. More than the legal issues it is the civil issues that need to be addressed and more awareness is needed,” says Parthasarathy, a men’s rights activist from SIFF.
In a society where men are expected to be strong and be the provider of the family, the feeling of extreme mental pressure has brought the activists to be vociferous about men’s rights.
–Agencies