Save Indian Family Foundation
{{Short description|Men's rights group in India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Save Indian Family Foundation
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| formation = {{start date and age|2005}}
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| type = Indian men's rights organization
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| location = Over 50 cities in 20 states{{cite web |url= http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/living/men-who-cry |title= Men Who Cry |last= Polanki |first= Pallavi |date= 17 July 2010 |work= OPEN |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100721000304/http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/living/men-who-cry |archive-date= 21 July 2010 |access-date= 28 March 2013 }}
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| fields = Men's rights, domestic violence
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| leader_title = General Secretary
| leader_name = Rukma Chary
| leader_title2 = Nagpur
| leader_name2 = Rajesh Vakharia
| leader_title3 = Founders
| leader_name3 = Anil Kumar, Pandurang Katti
| website = {{URL|saveindianfamily.org}}
}}
Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF) is a men's rights group in India. It is a registered, non-funded, non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) and works with various like-minded NGOs in India. Men in this foundation are against feminism.
{{cite web
|url = http://www.saveindianfamily.org/about-us.html
|title = SIFF - About Us
|publisher = Save Indian Family Foundation
|access-date = 2008-12-31
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121108072931/http://www.saveindianfamily.org/about-us.html
|archive-date = 8 November 2012
|df = dmy-all
}}
History
Founded in 2005, SIFF is an advocacy group against what it calls misuse of Indian laws related to dowry harassment.{{cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/a-helpline-for-harassed-hubbies/27345-3.html |title=Wife harassing you? Call for help |author=ANI |date=2006-11-29 |work=IBNLive |access-date=2008-12-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522132350/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/a-helpline-for-harassed-hubbies/27345-3.html |archive-date=22 May 2011 }} It is an umbrella organisation of a number of men's and family rights organisations spanned across Indian cities and provinces. SIFF has supported the founding of other like-minded organisations, such as the "All India Mother in Laws Protection Forum"{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Moms-in-law-of-the-world-unite/articleshow/4977409.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025135858/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-09-06/chennai/28088298_1_mothers-in-law-siff-forum-plans|url-status=live|archive-date=25 October 2012|title=Moms-in-law of the world unite..|last=George|first=Daniel P.|date=6 September 2009|work=The Times of India|access-date=2009-12-08}} and "All India Men's Welfare Association".{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Now-a-forum-for-tortured-husbands/articleshow/5182345.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025135916/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-10-31/hyderabad/28084230_1_violence-awareness-month-siff-separate-ministry|url-status=live|archive-date=25 October 2012|title=Now, a forum for 'tortured' husbands|last=Sengupta|first=Sudipta|date=31 October 2009|work=The Times of India|access-date=2009-12-08}}
In 2010, the group claimed on its website to have "30,000 members on the ground and over 3,500 on the internet who are fighting this legal terrorism with vigour and passion like commandos".
Activities
SIFF created an app and a helpline for men, which got over 25,000 phone calls in four months.{{Cite web|date=Sep 17, 2014|title=Save India Family Foundation: Men's helpline gets 25,000 calls over four months in Kolkata|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Mens-helpline-gets-25000-calls-over-four-months-in-Kolkata/articleshow/42693066.cms|access-date=2020-10-21|website=The Times of India|language=en}}
The group campaigned against domestic violence legislation (such as Section 498a of the Indian Penal Code, (1983) and the Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act 2005), stating that these laws have been misused, and manipulated by Indian women. They assert that men are abused physically and are subject to legal, mental and social harassment by their wives because of these laws,{{cite news|last=Singh|first=Jangveer|date=2006-11-26|title=Sour dates in India’s Silicon Valley|publisher=Tribune News Service|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20061126/main8.htm|accessdate=2007-01-27}} and that lawyers and women use them to extort money and family property and to deny child custody to fathers.{{cite news|last=Karnad|first=Raghu|date=2007-12-03|title=Now, Is That Malevolence?|publisher=Outlook magazine|url=http://www.savefamily.org/index.php?view=article&id=134%3Aoutlooks-features-story-on-save-indian-family-by-raghu-karnad&Itemid=50&option=com_content|accessdate=2007-12-12}} SIF members have sought to have the laws made gender neutral and be amended to include protection of men against abuse by women.{{cite news|last=Sandhu|first=Veena|date=2006-11-07|title=Men new "victims" of domestic violence|publisher=Hindustan Times|url=http://www.saveindianfamily.org/images/dvlaw/SIF_Against_DVLaw.jpg|accessdate=2007-01-27}}{{cite news|last=Ramesh|first=Randeep|date=December 13, 2007|title=Dowry law making us the victims, says India's men's movement|publisher=The Guardian|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/dec/13/india.randeepramesh1|accessdate=2008-11-16}} The media comments that the organization is insensitive to high rates of domestic physical abuse committed against women in India {{cite news|last=Gupta|first=Monobina|date=2006-10-27|title=Malevolence for women’s law - Men go to PM against female ‘terrorist activity’|publisher=The Telegraph, Calcutta|url="Malevolence for women's law - Men go to PM against female 'terrorist activity'|accessdate=2007-01-27}} In addition, they note the organization's use of 'strong language', including describing as "terrorist activity" the support given by women groups for the domestic violence legislation, and describing the women politicians who spearhead the legislation as “modern Surpanakhas”.{{cite news|last=Bhattacharya|first=Chandrima S.|date=2006-10-30|title=What are men scared of?|publisher=The Telegraph, Calcutta|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061030/asp/calcutta/story_6933770.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061029230132/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061030/asp/calcutta/story_6933770.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 October 2006|accessdate=2007-01-27}}{{cite news|last=Sengupta|first=Sudipta|date=October 31, 2009|title=Now, a forum for 'tortured' husbands|publisher=TOI|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Now-a-forum-for-tortured-husbands/articleshow/5182345.cms|accessdate=2009-12-08}}
SIFF asserts that dowry harassment of women and their families is a figment of the feminist imagination,{{cite news|last=Karnad|first=Raghu|date=2007-12-03|title=Now, Is That Malevolence?|publisher=Outlook magazine|url=http://www.savefamily.org/index.php?view=article&id=134%3Aoutlooks-features-story-on-save-indian-family-by-raghu-karnad&Itemid=50&option=com_content|accessdate=2007-12-12}} and that the woman is the abuser in almost all cases of family abuse.{{cite news|last=Das|first=Radhika|date=June 8, 2007|title=Is the law biased against men?|publisher=Times of India|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-2109446,prtpage-1.cms|accessdate=2008-11-16}} They campaign for decrimininalisation of anti-dowry offences, with the threat of imprisonment removed.{{cite news|last=Ramesh|first=Randeep|date=December 13, 2007|title=Dowry law making us the victims, says India's men's movement|publisher=The Guardian|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/dec/13/india.randeepramesh1|accessdate=2008-11-16}} In contrast, police and women's groups have denied the group's claims of widespread misuse of anti-dowry laws, stating that only a small minority abuse the law, and the approximately 7000 deaths of women every year who die due to dowry demands.{{cite news|last=Ash|first=Lucy|date=2003-07-16|title=India's dowry deaths|publisher=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/3071963.stm|accessdate=2007-01-27}}
SIFF has also advocated for the creation of a Men's Commission in India.{{cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/rally-seeking-national-panel-for-men-on-march-3-at-jantar-mantar-5598465/lite/ |title=Rally seeking national panel for men on March 3 at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar |date=24 February 2019 |accessdate=8 February 2022 |first=Dar |last=Ovais |newspaper=Indian Express}} SIFF also protested against the 2010 Amendment to the Marriage Act.{{Cite web|date=2014-02-16|title=Men's rights groups sore at marriage laws bill|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/men-s-rights-groups-sore-at-marriage-laws-bill/story-meDyWCOJsGnxLoARlnnZZM.html|access-date=2020-10-21|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}
SIFF also spoke out against a 2022 court petition which could criminalize marital rape, and sponsored a "marriage strike".{{cite news |title=Marital rape is still legal in India. A court decision could change that |date=8 February 2022 |first=Lauren |last=Frayer |publisher=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/02/08/1047588035/marital-rape-india |accessdate=8 February 2022}}
Elections
SIFF ran an independent candidate, Satish Babu SN, in the 2018 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election from B.T.M Layout constituency; he finished 7th, gathering 333 votes (0.24% of the total valid votes).{{Cite web|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/670479/mens-rights-ngo-field-independents.html|title = Men's rights NGO to field independents in elections|date = 15 April 2018}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.saveindianfamily.org/ Organization website]
Category:Human rights organisations based in India
Category:Men's movement in India