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Press Release on Adultery & Sabrimala Verdict of Supreme Court |
Men Welfare Trust (Regd. NGO) is
part of Save Indian Family (SIF) Movement which is the biggest representative
of Men’s Rights Movement of India. SIF is a conglomerate of over 40 NGOs across
India & Abroad, working tirelessly for Men;s Rights in India. SIF has been
working for Empowerment of Men at Legal, Policy, Health, Govt Budgeting level.
SIF conducts weekly Support group meetings at over 30 places in India, 5 places
outside India. In addition, SIF also runs multiple Websites, Blogs, Email
support groups and even Whatsapp First Aid groups to help and support Indian
men and boys. SIF runs the world’s largest Private Helpline for Men in
Distress, “SIF One”, which gets over 6000 calls every month. SIF One Android
Mobile app also allows Men/Boys in distress to connect with SIF.
September
2018 continues to be BLACK SEPTEMBER in the lives of Indian Men.
This Month, after
Triple Talaq Ordinance and removal of Family Welfare Committee, 2 more blows to
the rights and dignity of men have happened:
Ø
Hon’ble Supreme Court decriminalized
IPC 497 #AdulteryØ
Hon’ble Supreme Court allowed
entry of women to #Sabrimala Shrine
SUPREME COURT REMOVES
#ADULTERY IPC 497:
The Hon’ble
Supreme Court in a 5 judges bench, headed by Chief Justice of India,
decriminalized Adultery thus making Sexual relationship outside the Marriage
not a Criminal Offence.
With the way the
definition and reality of Marriage has changed in India, where Husbands were
forced to live under constant fear of False Dowry, Maintenance, Domestic
Violence, Custody cases, Adultery law was the only protection they had in case
of adulterous wife filling false bouquet of cases. That shield, which could
have helped Husband prove the Cruelty he has undergone because of Wife’
Adultery has been taken off and Husbands are left defenceless.
The Hon’ble
Supreme Court while pronouncing the judgment mentioned that Husband is not a
Master of the wife. MWT wishes to submit an amendment that, No Spouse if Master
or Other Spouse. It is highly unfortunate that though the Husband is not a
Master of Wife, but still the Hon’ble Supreme Court allowed archaic and
draconian laws like Maintenance, Alimony laws which force the Husband to be the
PROVIDER to his wife.
With the removal
of Adultery law, which gave 100% immunity to an Adulterous wife, now wife will
have no deterrent in having Sexual Relationship outside her marriage. It would
be pertinent to add that a Husband, if at all, even talks to another female (or
doesn’t even do that much), a wife has all the right to file Criminal Case on
her Husband (and his entire family members) under IPC 498A, CrPC 125, PWDVA
2005 and many other sections.
It had been our
demand for long time that Adultery law MUST be amended to make it Gender
Neutral. With Hon’ble Supreme Court doing away with the law inspite of
correcting it, the value of Marriage has been left to nothing in India. Now the
big question remains, CAN A CHILD BE EVER BE SURE WHO IS IT’S FATHER?
SUPREME COURT
ALLOWS ENTRY OF WOMEN (specific age group) IN SABRIMALA:
Entry
of women between 10-50 years of age was not allowed in the shrine of Sabrimala,
which is considered to be the abode of Celibate Lord Ayyappa. Interestingly, a
religious sentiment case, was conveniently converted and viewed as a Feminist
Issue which means that Feminists don’t regard females under 10 years and over
50 years as women at all.
Hon’ble
Supreme Court 5 judges bench, headed by Chief Justice of India, also used terms
like “Patriarchy”, “Women not inferior to Men” etc. Though, the
case was never a Gender based case, the Hon’ble Supreme Court verdict made it
like one.
MWT
believes in religious autonomy to remain untouched by Judiciary but would
request the Hon’ble Supreme Court to also issue directions to Attukal Temple,
Chakkulathukavu Temple, Santoshi Maa ‘Vrat’, Lord Brahma Temple (Pushkar),
Bhagati Maa Temple (Kanyakumari), Mata Temple (Muzaffarpur), Trimbakeshwar Temple,
Kamrup Kamakhya Temple TO ALLOW MEN INSIDE THESE TEMPLES FOR THE SAME
EQUALITY.