Edited by – Robin Bhuyan (Editor-in-Chief)
Written by – Vaishali Adwant
Interviewed by – Robin Tyagi (Sub-editor)
Barkha Trehan is a woman who has been speaking for men’s rights and against abuse and exploitation of laws by women. In an exclusive interview with Enigmatic Horizon, Barkha throws light on the importance of gender equality, quashing false notions, and being the voice in support of men for the crimes committed against them with the misuse of feminism.
In the past few years, Barkha Trehan has become a voice for fighting for the rights of abused and innocent men who have been falsely accused of heinous crimes. She has been an active social activist fighting to bring justice to innocent men who have been suffering from being falsely accused by women who have misused their rights.
People talk about women’s issues but do not throw light on the exploitation of men, which happens in the same society where women, too, are exploited. Although crimes against women also take place, there is a strong voice raised against any atrocities against women. But we hardly see society raising its voice in support of men who are victimized. Let us learn from Barkha Trehan about her experiences as a men’s rights activist, and her views on the changes that are needed in the system.
Firstly, we would like to thank you for your selfless service to fight for men’s rights and providing justice to innocent men. We all are thankful to you for your efforts.
Thank you! But fighting for the rights of innocent men is everybody’s duty. When something wrong happens to women, my brothers, who are men, take the initiative to fight for justice. So when it comes to fighting for the rights of innocent men, women, too, must raise their voices in support of them. We must demand the Government to put forth gender-neutral laws, especially, which has been my big fight for a long time. I am urging that the government form a committee for a Men’s Commission. Unless and until this committee is formed, there will be no statistics or data collected for men suffering from atrocities. Our lawmakers seem to be in deep slumber, like it does not make any difference. “Let them die” seems to be the attitude towards suffering men, be it in police stations or the judiciary. The judiciary seems to be releasing statements occasionally that laws such as Section 498 are being misused, but despite this, they are not taking strict action.
I am not just a woman; I am also a mother. This fight is to protect the sons of this country from being falsely accused. I have personally handled numerous cases where men have been falsely accused. Our team helps out men or boys who reach out to us via social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. We get in touch with them and their family members to know the issues in depth and help them out. We also have a helpline number. Though this is what the Government must do, we are taking this initiative to help men seek justice.
Why does no political party want to discuss gender-neutral laws?
There is no male vote bank. This is why I urge my dear men- please come forward and fight for your rights.
Do you have a personal story that says what inspired you to fight for the rights of men?
Men’s rights are human rights. That is why I fight for them. There are many stories that have inspired me to fight for the rights of men. Around 12 years ago, someone I knew was accused in a false rape case. I myself didn’t believe him to be innocent at first, but when his mother said he could commit suicide, that is when I understood his plight, and decided to get to the bottom of it.
Even in the Rohtak girls’ case, a Narco test was conducted, which proved that the girls lied and the boys had to go through tremendous pain, torture, and social stigma, unnecessarily.
There is a new law passed against mental cruelty. Would you talk about it?
We ignore the videos and evidence that depict violence and cruelty against men. Our focus has only been cruelty against women. What about women harassing their husbands and boyfriends about money or any other demands? There are numerous false rape cases against men in Delhi, in which I have tried to help. I have also seen the attitude of the police and their lack of concern for men.
There are numerous cases in which women have murdered their husbands ruthlessly, but I was muted on numerous media channels when I was going to debate about these issues. Media, too, is responsible for diminishing the gravity of these cases as they too only want to highlight women-related crimes and talk about them.
Do you think this could be a conspiracy to destroy the family system?
Yes, this is the conspiracy of the West to divide the families and weaken the roots of our country. That is the reason the divorce rates are increasing. Even in divorce cases, the custody of the child usually goes to the mother. Again, men are ignored.
A lot of men are not getting married because of these issues. What would you say about this?
When you have laws supporting marital rape, it becomes difficult for the man to prove his innocence. Those who have been falsely accused fail to see how adversely their parents and family are affected.
Do you think human rights and gender quality must be taught right from the age of school?
Yes, proper sex education is a must. There are numerous cases where men have been raped. But it is brushed off as a myth. The way women and girls are taught the difference between a good touch and a bad touch, men and boys, too, must be taught the same.
How can men be a part of Purush Aayog?
All our social media channels are open for help and support. People are free to reach out to us via social media platforms for any kind of assistance. Despite our lack of funding, we do provide help and support to those suffering from false cases.
Why do movies about feminist issues get so much popularity and acclaim, but movies about men’s issues such as Aitraaz or Section 375 don’t receive the same amount of popularity?
Feminist issues get funding. Men have suffered from abuse and numerous atrocities, but nobody wants to make movies about them. In fact, I have approached several filmmakers, asking them if they want to make a movie on the plight of men, but they didn’t show interest. I have decided to go ahead and make a documentary on my own, ‘The Curse of Manhood,’ although we have not promoted it much.
Have you ever been discriminated against, for being a men’s rights activist?
People, especially women, have often labelled me as crazy. Many women ministers advise me to fight for women’s rights instead of men’s. They feel if I have done this amount of work for women, I would have won prestigious awards. But I have not changed my motto of fighting for men’s rights. There were a few people who tweeted about wanting to get me arrested. But I say, no matter what, I will continue to work to bring about a good change in the society so that we can have a world where men’s grievances and voices are heard as well.
We thank you for your time! And we wish you the best in your fight for actual gender-equality!
Thank you!
