In a society that easily raises its voice for the rights and well-being of women, the plight of men often goes unreported especially with regard to marital disputes, and in the process, their voices are silenced. The tragic suicide of a techie from Bengaluru, Atul Subhash, highlights the emotional trauma that relationships put on men and also highlights the legal injustice they suffer from. It is not an individual case in India, there are many similar examples where men have undergone false accusations for dowry harassment, domestic violence, sexual harassment, etc., and suffered tremendously hence. So the question arises: can we expect a society where men too get justice?
The Bengaluru Techie’s Suicide: A Wake-up Call
For instance, in a recent case, a techie based in Bengaluru, Atul Subhash, committed suicide following as many as nine cases related to dowry harassment and domestic violence filed against him by his estranged wife. His death has highlighted an important issue: the suffering of men is often ignored amidst the cacophony of public discourse that highlights women’s rights, especially in the case of marital conflicts.
This tragedy highlights a larger problem of men’s rights, especially in cases of fake dowry harassment or domestic abuse. Such cases receive little attention from society as a whole. When men like the Bengaluru techie, or others in similar circumstances, try to raise their voices, they are branded as perpetrators, without much avenue to defend their dignity, much less their lives.
Connecting the Dots: The Hidden Battles of Other Men
The Bengaluru techie’s case is not an isolated incident. For instance, Rajesh, another software engineer from Bengaluru, was also accused of dowry harassment and domestic violence by his wife after their marriage broke down in 2015. His case led to a lot of debates on the misuse of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code. Rajesh maintained that the charges were fabricated to settle personal scores. The court eventually ruled in his favor, but not before his career and reputation had been severely damaged. Men’s rights activists rallied behind Rajesh, highlighting the dangers of misused laws and calling for reforms to protect men from such false accusations.
A similar case is that of Ajay Kumar, who was also a teacher in Lucknow in 2016, accused of dowry harassment and domestic violence. His case gained traction due to social media campaigns like #JusticeForAjay and #MenToo. Ultimately, the man was proven to be innocent, but the damage to his professional and personal life had been done. Many such false accusations against men have kept thousands of them in limbo, which were later vindicated in the courts but not in society.
Cases like Ramesh (2019, Chennai), Manish (2018, Pune), and Vinod (2017, Jaipur) indicate how much false accusations of domestic violence and dowry harassment affect men’s lives. Ramesh is a young professional in Chennai. His wife filed a case of sexual harassment against him after they separated. His reputation was irreparably damaged even though the case was proven false. Manish, an IT employee in Pune, is one of the victims of such false cases of domestic violence filed by his wife before getting a divorce. For both cases, people have started social media movements such as #JusticeForManish, but still, why are men not given the same level of legal and social protection as well as understanding as a woman gets?
What the Data Tells Us
As per World Health Organization (WHO) data, suicide is the third biggest cause of death worldwide. Globally, more than 7 lakh people commit suicide every year. In an alarming trend, NCRB data underscores that more men commit suicide than women.
Two decades data is even more alarming as it is skewed heavily against men as out of every 10 people who commit suicide in India, around 70% are men.
From 2001 to 2022, the number of women committing suicide every year was between 40 to 48 thousand. Whereas, during the same period, the number of men committing suicide increased from 66 thousand to over 1 lakh.
In 2022, more than 1.70 lakh people committed suicide, out of which more than 1.22 lakh were men. That means on an average 336 men commit suicide every day.
As per the NCRB data, one man is committing suicide every 4 and a half minutes.
Incidentally this has been a global trend. All over the world, men are committing more suicides. According to WHO, out of every one lakh men in the world, 12.6 commit suicide. On the other hand, this rate is 5.4 out of every one lakh women.
The Impact of Social Media and Public Judgment
The most disturbing aspect of these stories is the role of social media in these cases. In this case, Sarvjeet Singh, who faced allegations of sexual harassment back in 2015 on the part of Jasleen Kaur, the judgment on social media marred Singh’s reputation eventually giving a strong warning against public shaming before evidence. He was villionised as “Dilli ka darinda”.
Although acquitted and out of jail, the life of Sarvjeet was forever shaken due to the public outcry born out of the viral posts on social media. It also brings to light a very alarming issue: how easily frivolous allegations are misused on social media sites without evidence. Similarly, the tragic death of the Bengaluru techie who had faced false accusations has made a big splash in bringing out the plight of how silently men are suffering when falsely accused publicly and in the personal space.
Emotionally, there is no quantifiable loss when falsely accused. Men are often seen as perpetrators, even when there is no evidence to support the claims. The constant battle to clear their name in the face of public judgment, societal stigma, and legal complexities can lead many to the brink of despair. In such battles, men often face the least amount of support from society, as it focuses on the victimization of women while forgetting the fact that wrong accusations affect men too.
A Call for Change: Gender-Neutral Justice
Can we really imagine a society in which men can get justice as well? The answer to this question is in reforms that need to take place in legal systems, especially domestic dispute legal systems. The very nature of cases such as Section 498A is self-contradictory, wherein the protection of women against dowry harassment has led to the abuse and targeting of men in a way that leaves permanent damage. Men’s rights activists argue that the gender-neutral approach to the judicial system ensures that accusations of both men and women receive equal scrutiny and evidence-based judgment.
The law has to change, with the inclusion of both men and women under a balanced protection from abuse and false accusations. Presently, it is often the case that men have to face themselves in courts with minimal public outcry or legal safeguards against misuse of laws that were supposed to be in place for the vulnerable.
A Society That Must Evolve
The tragic death of Atul Subhash, along with the personal and professional losses other men in similar situations face, is the greater social issue. The suffering men are many times not the wrongdoers; their suffering remains ignored and justice is quite often unattainable. The rules need to be changed to make the society even. There needs to be some balance between fairness and due process. Both men and women should be given their words and not be biased towards anything. It’s about time society recognizes the plight of the men and gives them a chance for justice and whatever support they may require. It must be understood that suffering is for both genders. Only then will a society with justice, which is blind to gender, be possible.