Recent incidents of men being harassed by their wives and in-laws, and videos surfacing of them committing suicide, have shaken the nation. Actor Nikkhil Arya, who is popularly known for his roles in several TV shows like Kesar, Tere Liye, Rabba Ishq, and Kumkum Bhagya, to name a few, and the Marathi movie Gulaabi, feels that men who raise such issues are often mocked. He strongly believes that laws should be gender neutral.
Sharing his personal experience, he said, “I have personally been a victim of male and female molestation. The cases that are coming out are the ones who are speaking up. These cases are rampant but go unreported due to the social fabric we have created. We need to understand how greedy and materialistic society has become in general, irrespective of gender,” he added.
He also mentions that at least in societies where women proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with men, the women have the same propensity to drive their partners crazy as their man.”
Nikkhil acknowledged the fact that historically women have been mistreated, but that doesn’t mean that in today’s world we overcompensate. “If you have a one-sided draconian law, more cases will come to the fore. It’s weird that a woman’s word is considered as gospel and immediate action is taken, even if the allegation is untrue and malafide. The onus is on the man and his family to prove their innocence.
“You might find it extreme, but the man is only left with two options: end his own life or finish the other. Both scary. The law has to be fair across the board and protect all citizens,” he added.
The current law encourages a woman to blackmail the man, and he becomes a victim of extortion for lack of a different term. “What rubbish is this? The least that can be done is strengthen the law governing the consequences of a fake case,” he said.
“I have many friends who are women of substance and hold the same viewpoint. The foundation of our jurisprudence is built on the fact that it’s ok if a criminal is not punished due to lack of evidence, but no innocent person should be prosecuted,” he added.
“But laws dealing with relationships are lopsided, and sometimes just the female version is heard, and a man and his family are arrested under a non-bailable offense even without any investigation.
Laws should be dynamic and in sync with current times. In conclusion, I am convinced that in the current scenario, more women misuse the law than use it genuinely,” Nikkhil ended.
