MARD: A political party in fray for men's rights

Mard

ko dard hota hai (Men feel the pain). And so much so that there's a

political party

to exclusively espouse their cause. Named Mera Adhikar Rashtriya Dal (MARD), the Lucknow-based party was formed in 2009 by a group of men facing legal issues related to the Dowry Prohibition Act and the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.
Since its inception, the party has contested seven elections, including the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi and Lucknow, a by-election in Bangarmau in 2020, and assembly election from Bareilly, Lucknow North, Bakshi Ka Talab (Lucknow), and Chauri Chaura in 2022.

However, their

candidates

performed poorly each time, resulting in the loss of their deposit money. Despite these setbacks, MARD is ready for the 2024 general elections, with candidates vying for the Lok Sabha seats in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, and Ranchi.

One of their founders and party president

Kapil Mohan Choudhary

, who is contesting polls from Lucknow LS seat, is facing a

dowry case

since 1999 that remains unresolved after 25 years.
"I have two kids from my first marriage, both taken away by my ex-wife. Later, I was falsely accused in dowry and domestic violence cases. While fighting these cases in Lucknow, I met many others facing similar charges in similar situations," says 52-year-old Kapil. "I got divorced, but the dowry case is still ongoing. To highlight

men's rights

, we formed a political party," says Kapil, who remarried in 2011.

Party candidates Sonu Rai and Dhananjay Kumar are in fray from Gorakhpur and Ranchi constituencies, respectively.
The party 'MANifesto' has interesting promises, including a 'Ministry of Men's Welfare' and a 'National Commission for Men'. They aim to pass a 'Men's Safety Bill' to prevent unfair treatment of men due to laws favouring women and establish a 'Men's Power Line' to assist them with

family issues

.
Other than this, they also want to establish a 'Family Welfare Committee' to handle family issues, implementing laws for child custody after divorce and immediately "halting live-in relationships".
But are they open to women joining their party? "By all means," says Kapil. "Our aim is to protect men's rights, not infringe on women's," he sings off to join his campaign.