Men's helpline gets 25,000 calls over four months

Kolkata: SIF, the mobile app launched five months ago for the protection of men's rights, has received a mega response in the last four months.

The app, launched by Save India Family Foundation NGO, has received 25,000 calls in the last four-five months.

It was launched to help men at the receiving end of domestic violence or slapped with false rape cases with a dedicated helpline "08882498498"

The NGO, whose Kolkata chapter is known as Hridaya-Nest, developed the mobile application keeping in mind a growing tribe of males who are becoming victims of the alleged misuse of Section 498a of the IPC and anti-rape laws.

"The response is huge. We have received nearly 25,000 calls in the last four-five months. At an average we receive 165 calls everyday out of which 87 calls are new calls. The app has received near about 5,000 downloads over the last four months," Amit Gupta of Hridaya-Nest said.

The APP offer details of 50 NGOs in 50 cities in 25 states where people could personally seek legal counselling and support.

The helpline which was initially launched in 10 states including MP, Delhi NCR, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana and other states, has been extended to five more states.

"Each state has five counsellors at an average. The highest number of calls have been received from Madhya Pradesh with 31 per cent calls," Gupta said and claimed that they had received calls and responses from even foreign countries such as Singapore, UK, Japan and USA.

Among the cities, the maximum number of calls, 23 per cent of all, have been received from Delhi, while the lowest, one per cent, have been received from Vizag.

Gupta said that the NGO has a plan to take it to all cities and towns in India after an increasing number of males became victims of "gender biased laws".

"According to a survey done by us last year, every nine minutes a married man commits suicide in India due to alleged misuse of section 498a of IPC against them, taking the toll to around a whopping 64,000 every year," said Gupta.

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