Fervent demand for gender-neutral laws on Int'l Men’s Day

‘Show men some love; so not fair’, a decade-old jingle to sell a deodorant found an afterlife on November 19, unofficially observed as International Men's Day across the world.

- Manoj Ramakrishnan

The lack of recognition shows the society's lackadaisical interest in the day, lamented many males.

Standing apart, the Central Railway acknowledged the day. The CSMT was illuminated in blue light on Wednesday evening as the heritage building is traditionally lit in pink on Women's Day. Groups advocating gender-neutral laws used social media and small gatherings to call for changes in laws enacted to protect women, but are sometimes misused against men.

The blue lights on the CSMT are one way to get attention on the issue, said Amit Despande, founder-member of Vaastav Foundation, a men's rights advocacy group. Deshpande spent three years convincing the CR to commemorate International Men's Day in a way similar to Women's Day. The railways finally agreed in 2017. “The world has been observing this day for the last 20 years. Still, men's issues do not get attention,’ said Desphande.

Jai Vishwakarma from Save Indian Family Foundation said that section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), created to protect women against