Save Indian Family

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Type Indian Men's rights organization
Founded 2005
Location Many cities in India
Leaders Swarup Sarkar & Gurdarshan Singh-Delhi, Gokul & M R Gupta-Mumbai, Sumanth and Pandurang-Bangalore, Uma & Amarshree-Hyderabad, Vinit- Kolkata, amitabh - Pune, suresh Chennai, Yaksha-Lucknow, Gaurav MP , Kalpesh Gujarat
Field Men's rights activism
Website http://www.saveindianfamily.org

Save Indian Family (SIF), also known as "Save Indian Family Foundation", is an Indian men's rights organisation founded in 2005, which works as an advocacy group against alleged misuses of domestic violence legislation in India, and provides support for men and their families who have suffered intimate partner violence or have been accused of domestic violence themselves. Its objectives and anti-feminism have been criticised by Indian feminist organisations and the media.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

SIF, founded in 2005, is an umbrella organisation of a number of men's and family rights organisations across Indian cities and provinces.[2] The organisations operate independently but work together under the banner of "Save Indian Family". SIF has become a public trust with under the name "Save Indian Family Foundation".[3] In March 2006, the NGO "Protect Indian Family" was founded in Bombay to better facilitate the work of the SIF.[2][4] SIF has free helpline telephone numbers for counselling men/husbands and their family members in distress in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Nasik, Surat, Jaipur and Kolkata.[5] In 2007, the movement claimed 8,000 members.[6]

[edit] Stated Aims

SIF Protest at New Delhi
SIF Protest at New Delhi

On the organization's website, their stated aims include: working on "human rights for all" in relation to families; campaigning against "Human Rights abuse of elders, children, unborn children (fetuses), males and females;" examining and researching gender issues; publicising miscarriages of justice; working for legal reform; providing charitable support for the needy; conducting research and patenting its results; promoting "citizen journalism;" campaigning for "equal or equivalent laws" for all castes, creeds, religions and genders; and interacting with human rights organizations.[7]

SIF campaigns against domestic violence legislation (such as Section 498a of the Indian Penal Code, (1983) and the Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act 2005, believing that these laws have been over-used and manipulated by some Indian women. They claim that men are abused physically and are subject to unnecessary legal threats and imprisonment by their wives because of these laws.[8] They point to the higher rate of male suicides in India, and claim this is largely due to domestic cruelty against men.[6] SIF members have sought to have the laws made gender neutral or to be amended to include protection of men against abuse by women.[9]

[edit] Criticism of SIF

SIF faces virulent criticism by Indian and international feminist organisations and the press for being vocally anti-feminist. The organization's language, describing "terrorist activity" by women's groups supporting domestic violence legislation, and calling women who spearhead these campaigns "modern sadists" and “modern Surpanakhas,” has been specifically criticized.[10][1][6] Critics point to the high rates of physical abuse committed against women in India, including approximate 7000 deaths of women every year, allegedly due to dowry demands,[11] and the need for domestic legislation to protect them.[10] While they agree that more men than women commit suicide, they note that the Crime Bureau's conclusion was that "social and economic causes have led most of the males to commit suicide whereas emotional and personal causes have mainly driven females to end their lives", contradicting SIF's claim that unhappy domestic lives are the main cause.[6]

SIF has also been criticised for blaming men who "yield" to women and saying that they get what they "deserve" if they purchase a house jointly with the wife or buy a car in the wife’s name.[10] The organisation is mainly limited to educated middle-class and upper middle-class people and does not yet well serve men belonging to poorer classes.[6]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Bhattacharya, Chandrima S.. "What are men scared of?", The Telegraph, Calcutta, 2006-10-30. Retrieved on 2007-01-27. 
  2. ^ a b Aron, Sunita. "Now, an all male fightclub", Hindustan Times, 2007-01-13. Retrieved on 2007-01-22. 
  3. ^ ANI. "Wife harassing you? Call for help", IBN Live, 2006-11-29. Retrieved on 2007-02-05. 
  4. ^ Tanna, Ketan. "Tortured husband's union: The people in this group had just two choices. Either become henpecked or handcuffed", Times of India, 2006-12-25. Retrieved on 2007-02-05. 
  5. ^ Save Indian Family. Retrieved on 2007-02-05.
  6. ^ a b c d e Karnad, Raghu. "Now, Is That Malevolence?", Outlook magazine, 2007-12-03. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. 
  7. ^ Aims and Objects of Save Indian Family Foundation (pdf). Retrieved on 2007-01-27.
  8. ^ Singh, Jangveer. "Sour dates in India’s Silicon Valley", Tribune News Service, 2006-11-26. Retrieved on 2007-01-27. 
  9. ^ Sandhu, Veena. "Men new "victims" of domestic violence", Hindustan Times, 2006-11-07. Retrieved on 2007-01-27. 
  10. ^ a b c Gupta, Monobina. "Malevolence for women’s law - Men go to PM against female ‘terrorist activity’", The Telegraph, Calcutta, 2006-10-27. Retrieved on 2007-01-27. 
  11. ^ Ash, Lucy. "India's dowry deaths", BBC News, 2003-07-16. Retrieved on 2007-01-27. 

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links