‘What if he wasn't Brij Bhushan?' A wake-up call for men's rights in India
The POCSO case against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was closed by a Delhi court. The case had triggered nationwide outrage and protests by wrestlers.
Let's be clear: if the minor retracted her statement, closure was legally inevitable. But why was a man declared guilty in public even before trial? Why was due process discarded for TRPs and political brownie points?
'A man accused is a man destroyed even when acquitted.'
Brij Bhushan had political clout, financial muscle, and visibility. He could fight back. But what about the aam purush the ordinary man with no platform, no resources? The salaried man falsely accused in marriage disputes, the young boy framed in college by a rejected proposal, the elderly father battling false domestic violence claims?
'When even powerful men get dragged, what hope does the powerless have?'
This case proves that truth must be proved, not presumed. Gender cannot be the benchmark of credibility.
'Today it's Brij Bhushan. Tomorrow it could be your father, your brother, your son.'
The damage is done. The POCSO case is closed, but the stigma, the vilification, and the career cost stay. The other harassment cases remain under tria if they too fall, who will return his reputation?
India cannot continue this witch-hunt of men in the name of women empowerment.
It's time to stop the misuse.
It's time for a Men's Commission.
It's time for equal rights. For real justice.
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