New Delhi: More married men commit suicide in India than women, an NGO seeking gender neutral laws claimed while demanded an early setting up of “National Commission of Men” at an event held on the eve of World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) observed on September 10 every year.
Seeking urgent steps to save harassed married men from committing suicides, president of NGO Children’s Rights Initiative For Shared Parenting (Crisp), Kumar Jahgirdar, said, “A dedicated 24/7 helpline for men in distress should be set up at the police commissioner office in every city”.
A provision for allowing online filing of complaints by harassed men and boys should also be made, he said.
In 2015, 133,623 suicides were reported in India out of which 91,528 (68 per cent) were by men, 42,088 were by women, according to data from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). As per NCRB, this goes to show for every one married woman committing suicide two married men end their lives due to domestic violence at home, mostly torture by wives, he said.
On the eve of WSPD, observed on September 10 every year, the NGO chief said that India should have a “National Strategy for Suicide Prevention” in line with 28 other countries that have successfully implemented it.
Crisp demanded that domestic violence act to be made gender neutral so that harassed husbands have a right to file case to get justice. “This will automatically reduce suicide rates of men,” he said.
Mr Jahgirdar also sought punishment for woman who misuse IPC section 498A (dowry harassment) since 27 lakh people have gone to jail mostly on false complaints between the year 1998 to 2015.
The NGO also demanded that a shared parenting bill be passed in Parliament as recommended by the Law Commission to make mandatory shared parenting of children whose parents are separated or divorced.
