The Save Indian Family Foundation mens' rights group has put up up a candidate in the ensuing Karnataka assembly elections to highlight the plight of men in Indian society, an activist said here on Saturday.

As politicians of all major parties ignore many of the issues faced by ordinary men and some even indulge in male-bashing and sexism against men, the SIFF is also urging men activists to contest in elections as independents to ensure that both men and women are treated equally by the government and the legal systems.

SIFF co-founder Rajesh Vakharia said it has fielded a software engineer Satish Babu from the prestigious BTM Layout assembly constituency of South Bangalore, against Home Minster Ramalinga Reddy.

Over a 100 men's activists were campaigning actively for Babu, distributing pamphlets with their manifesto and also unleashed an online campaign in his support.

A man facing domestic violence or stalking cannot complain, as no police station will take his complaint or protect him. Recently, a woman and a man pushed a 56-year old man before a Mumbai suburban train just because she thought he molested her, said another activist Vijay Sahu, a software professional.

Besides, Vakharia said the SIFF will field five candidates in the next year's Delhi assembly elections and in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, put up a candidate against Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, who it accused of making "regular statements against men and boys".

Another SIFF co-founder Anil Kumar said that over half a million separation/divorces every year in Indian family courts and there are delays when men seek access to their own children.

"Many young men as asked to pay up five-seven years of their income as one-time alimony during mediations by the Family Courts or police stations during marital disputes. Over 20,000 married men commit suicide annually due to family reasons in India, and for domestic violence or stalking, there are no laws that protect men," Kumar said.

Vakharia said the SIFF has been demanding equal treatment for men and women and not to harm men or boys in the name of empowering women.

The SIFF claims its campaign has gathered good attention for Babu from the people of the constituency for his stress on judicial reforms and accountability, police reforms, equality for men and women and girl and boy children, punishment for people indulging in false litigation, besides other social and public causes.

--IANS

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