Hridaya, the nest of family harmony celebrates International Men’s Day (IMD) in style in Kolkata along with more than 40 NGOs nationally under the umbrella organisation Save Indian Family (SIF) on 19th November.

IMD is celebrated every year all over the globe to celebrate and value the positive role of men towards the society. In 1999 the celebration of IMD started in Trinidad and Tobago and this year it is celebrated in more than 80 countries.

As a part of the celebration in Kolkata, the NGO has a state-level meeting of men’s rights activists on 17th November at Nicco Park premises and held a press conference.

Activists started preparing the venue and registration for the state men’s rights meet early in the day. This gave ample opportunity to the MRAs to interact among themselves and to know each other better.

A research scholar whose teacher is doing a Post Doctorate level research on men’s rights in the country from Jadavpur University one of the prestigious universities in India is also seen discussing the men’s issues with the MRAs in the venue.

The conference started with a small movie prepared by Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute on atrocities against men followed by a quiz on International Men’s Day. Amartya Talukdar a die-hard activist won a gift for his contribution to men’s rights in the state and was felicitated by the NGO –

Activists from all over the state was also felicitated with Hridaya T’Shirts.

and this followed by a cake cutting ceremony by the activists –

Mr. D K Sur from Purulia who won a memento for his contribution to the men’s rights in Bengal was given the same on the occasion

and then not to mention the celebration of manhood by these men –

oops….and boyhood too

One of the veteran MRA Goswami took a class of MRAs after the press briefing on IMD was over –

On the celebration day (19th November) it was rather busy and hectic day for all MRAs.  Some of them have worked overnight to decorate a tableau on IMD.

The tableau started its journey from one location in southern Kolkata and stopped at some strategic points for awareness creation/activism and distribution of pamphlets.

People from all different strata of the society was interested in knowing more about IMD and the significance of the same.

  

Do you think domestic violence against men is funny? Most of the girls in Kolkata think so. They were not only curious but thought it was a great laughing stock to talk about domestic violence against men or a men’s welfare ministry.

But the media was appreciative of the effort as we saw at the press club in Kolkata

Even the foreign nationals recognized the need of celebrating IMD.

But how could these men forget the recent incidence of a husband committing suicide due to atrocities by his wife in Kolkata? In memory of the deceased, the activists observed one minute of silence before the celebration.

Followed by this there was cake cutting and celebration by the team –

Volunteers projected the need for recognizing a positive male role in the society and to stop thinking of them as criminals always –

Every year around 64000 married men are forced to commit suicide and this number is growing in India. This number today is double the number of women suicide but it is never highlighted in any mainstream media.

Activists demanded the need of setting up a national commission for the welfare of men and a ministry for the welfare of men in the country.

Also, a hot air balloon went up in the sky with Men’s Day written on it to reach more men in the city –

With press club agenda being over by the afternoon, MRAs proceeded to other parts of the city with the tableau and spread the awareness of the day –

It is International Men’s Day Folks. This year, it is celebrated in 80 different countries with the theme ‘Making men’s life safe’. It is NOT funny to discuss and recognize the growing issue of violence against men. After all, if men are only oppressors, who have cared for and built the society for ages? If men are only criminals why are they forced to die in all battles to save the mankind? Even if more than 80% of nation’s taxpayers are men then why their money is used to make laws against them?  If men are only perpetrators of violence then why is double the number of married men commit suicide every year in India compared to women?

On this IMD let’s take a pledge to end all violence against men and to make their lives safe. Let’s recognize the human value of men –