CHANDIGARH: The death of 34-year-old techie Atul Subhash by suicide a few months back caused a massive outrage in India, as a detailed suicide note and video left behind by him accused his estranged wife, her mother and brother of sustained harassment and torture. It also sparked a conversation about the misuse of dowry law in the country and renewed calls for the reforms in gender-based laws. But not many know that the case of Subhash was not an isolated incident.
Meet 42-year-old Rohit Dogra, who heads the Chandigarh Chapter of the Save Indian Family Movement (SIFM), the largest men’s rights organisation in India. Founded in 2005, it has been pushing for reforms in the dowry legislation, flagging the misuse of gender-based laws. Supported by 40 non-government organisations (NGOs), the SIFM has also called for the setting up of a national commission for men and a relook at the alimony regulations and child custody policies.
Ask Dogra why he chose to be associated with the organisation, and pat comes his reply: “Back in 2010, my then in-laws filed a dowry complaint against me. A case was subsequently registered against my mother and me under Sections 498-A and 406 of the IPC.” He then fought a long legal battle to finally be acquitted in 2018. But Dogra went a step further. After being cleared of the charge, he got a case against his then wife and in-laws in Pathankot in 2020 for forgery and conspiracy. The couple finally got divorced in 2022.
Dogra, who has been associated with the organisation for the past 15 years, recalls, “It was in 2010 that I called up the SIFM helpline number and got in touch with members of the local chapter. They offered me not just legal advice but also moral support.” Now, he is helping other men in distress. “In 2016, we registered another NGO, Save Indian Family-Chandigarh, under the umbrella of the SIFM, and I took over the reins of the Chandigarh Chapter as its president,” he adds.
Dogra, who holds a postgraduate degree in MBA, works with a private company. But he still devotes about two to three hours every day to helping men ensnared in such fake cases or facing harassment. Other than receiving calls on the SIFM local helpline number, he also organises a weekly support meeting every Sunday.
Discussing how the movement to save men, he shares, “We have some 2,500 to 3,000 members across the country. Out of them, approximately 400–500 are from Punjab, 200–300 from the Chandigarh tri-city and another 150–200 from Haryana. Over 40-odd NGOs across the country are associated with us.”
Delving into the services the SIFM offers, Dogra tells us: “We offer the biggest free helpline number for men in India (08882-498-498). It is a first of its kind. We receive 4,000 to 5,000 calls every month from across the country about domestic violence against men, the misuse of dowry or rape laws, workplace harassment and depression. We are a self-supported and -funded group, and we organise free weekly meetings in 40 places on Saturdays and Sundays.”
Harking back to how the movement began, Dogra mentions that the SIFM was launched in 2005 in view of how men were being targeted through gender-based laws. “Then, in 2014, we started a free helpline,” he adds.
Just a few days ago, on April 19, the SIFM organised a gathering, Satyagraha for Men, at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi to push for gender-neutral laws, stricter penalties for misuse of gender laws and the establishment of a national commission for men. The purpose of this commission, according to the SIFM, should be to address the mental health issues men face, tackle the growing incidence of prostate cancer, launch a separate helpline for men, coordinate with the government to make laws gender-neutral and offer support to men in general. Besides, Dogra feels, the body can work with the authorities to introduce schemes for men in rural areas and help amend or abrogate Article 15(3) of the Constitution.
Opening up about the recent Jantar Mantar gathering, Dogra says, “The protest drew men and women from across India.” Renowned men’s rights activists, legal experts and social workers from across the country addressed the gathering and raised concerns long ignored by successive governments.
Wasif Ali, another member of the SIFM, says, “This satyagraha was not just a protest; it was about demanding constitutional equality.”
Dogra ruefully points out, “India has commissions for women, children, animals, forests and everything else, but there is no national-level statutory body for men.” He concludes, “A national commission for men is not just a demand. It is the need of the hour.”