On the occasion of International Men's Day, Vastav Foundation talks about various issues plaguing Indian men -- from misused dowry and domestic abuse laws to the new proposed amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act and the Special Marriage Act, which they term as a "gold digger's law".

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A support group for men who have been victims of the misused dowry and domestic abuse laws, Vastav will set up a stall at CST on Wednesday from 10am to 6pm to highlight men's issues and undertake a signature campaign.

"This new amendment will be a "gold digger's law" because it has so many loopholes. The amendment is applicable in cases where the husband files for divorce on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage, that is, no party is at fault. In such cases 50% of the husband's property, inherited and bought will be given to the wife," said Amit Deshpande, president of Vastav.

Mrinalini Deshmukh, divorce lawyer, agrees to the exploitative potential of the law. "While it is important that a woman gets some share of property, there must be certain conditions. One important condition is that the marriage should be minimum of 10 to15 years long. It's also important that couples sign a pre-nuptial agreement to protect themselves from such exploitations."

Both Deshpande and Deshmukh agree that the amendment must have safeguards or it may be a lopsided law. "So many laws are being misused these days, men are threatened everyday by the Domestic Violence Act, which is a non-bailable offence, and affects even the family members. Even section 377 of the IPC which makes "unnatural sex" an offence, punishment for which is imprisonment for upto 10 years, is being misused," added Deshpande.