MRA is short for Men's Rights Activist. A men's rights activist is referred as a person who campaigns for or supports the protection of men's rights and interests. MRAs argue that, as human beings, men should have human rights, due process in legal matters, and should not be subject to "reverse discrimination" in favor of other groups; as Men face daily discrimination from the government, the media, and the justice system’. MRA is a person who supports ending sexism towards men. Often made into a joke by closed-minded individuals who can't accept that sexism towards men exists.
I became an MRA when I realized that male abuse victims usually aren't taken as seriously as their female counterparts.
As MRA, I find very few who are fighting for the cause, under SAVE INDIA FAMILY MOVEMENT (SIFM). Across India in different cities, under SIFM approx. 50 NGO’s held meeting for counselling of male victim. What I have observed over these years is that all male victims come to weekly meeting are not MRA, neither they convert into MRA accept a few and when their purpose/case solved they left organisation & never look back.
Conversion of victim into MRA is very negligible, this is the main reason that head count is low in any MRA sponsored event/Satyagraha/Activism and still lack or not able to become a vote bank. Why Vote Bank? Because your voice will not be heard inside parliament as your cause will not be picked by any Political party neither by Govt Agencies or Judicial system. To become vote bank, we have to draw attention of masses for our causes and for this we have to create strong MRA community in terms of Quality and Quantity.
Due to slow-n-low rate of conversion of MRA from victim, we have to rethink on our plan of action, strategies & on Activism as well. Main three reason for this low rate of conversion is selfishness, shame to face the mass and time-n-earning -
Selfishness: Under SIFM; NGO organise weekly free meeting at several cities across India. Some person in this NGOs take this as an opportunity as money making organisation by dupe and cheat the new victims. Due to these victims turn away from the meeting when the feel cheated.
Also, there are selfish victim too. They think that; they are the only victim and others are culprit, never comes to weekly meeting and want all info on just a phone call as per their needs and requirement. They never care for others.
Shame: Several victims never come in frontline as he feels shame to face the society as; what will society say, if someone sees with the organization what people will think about him, etc. so they cut off from mainstream; which leads to massive suicide of males in the society.
Time-n-Earning: It’s the common problem of all the victims is financial crunch. They have to earn for livelihood, pay maintenance, look after the dependents, fight multiple cases, etc. To earn he has to go office/work place, spend time with parents-n-dependents, give time to fight cases, provide time to society, etc. Due the said reason victim has lack of time and so not able to become MRA.
Also, its observed that mindset of general people is the greatest obstruction for Men’s Right movement. We have to overcome the obstruction and break the myth prevail in the society by feminism that they being oppressed and men are their enemy; through mass education. We have to remove feminism as it is cancer for our society and its main cause for breaking of family system in India. All this rubbishness of feminism are induced from school level in the young minds of boys and girls. We have counter false narrative of feminism with correct data’s and literature available. If we are able to catch the young minds and clear all doubts. We have to use two things; first EGO and second PSYCHOSIS. Also, we have to develop separate syllabus for this activism; as catch them young. We have to try for induction of Men’s Right in school curriculum/syllabus as well.
It’s widely propagated that when a girl is educated then one entire family is educated; in similar way if we can educate a boy/girl on men’s right then entire family will be aware of Men’s Right which in turn will be a male vote bank. Feminist with their false narratives have reached at this level not in a day they have taken decades; still time has not gone out of our hands.
Every revolution started from college. We have to organise seminar at universities & colleges. We have to deliver lecture on Men’s right, regular interactions with student, organise quiz at different level, welcome writeup/blog/poem from student, open centre for male victim at college, appointment of self-help activist, organise drama/mini play, engage student for different type/level of surveys, provide internship, encourage specialize course on men, etc. So, in first place we have to educate college going student on Men’s Right; secondly we have to promote student for choosing and taking subject on Men’s Right & cause for specialized research work; thirdly we have push for have subject or specialized stream in colleges and universities as well and lastly we should push hard to have a curriculum at school level on Men’s Right and their causes.
This will help in creating awareness towards true gender-neutral society and break the myth of feminism created by feminist.
Argho Biswas is a member of Chhattisgarh chapter of Save Indian Family Movement. This post was originally published on his blog here and in July issue of Daaman's quarterly magazine Men's Hub