Palash Krishna Mehrotra, author of the The Butterfly Generation, wrote a column for the India Today magazine on Dec. 1 which talked about what the country's new rape laws mean for Indian men.
His column, titled "Men Under A State of Siege," centered on the recent shocking rape allegations by a woman journalist against Tarun Tejpal, the founder-editor of Tehelka, one of India's most respected news weeklies famous for its breakthrough investigative journalism.
Mehrotra wrote that India's new rape laws, put in place after the horrific Delhi gang rape last year, are "draconian and full of grey areas." He did not seem to think that 'sexual overtures,' 'sexual favors,' and 'forcible disrobing' constituted the definition of sexual harassment.
He also believed that it was unfair not to deem consent given under intoxication as informed consent under the new law.
He wrote:
"This means that a drunken consensual tumble with a woman can come back to haunt the man the next day, or even ten years later. This seems grossly unfair."
He also felt that enlarging the definition of rape in India has led to men feeling they are under siege.
"Many Indian men admit privately that they feel they are under a state of siege. The bedroom has been criminalised. Is it going to be impossible to form relationships from now on? Have we as a society, yet again, swung from one extreme to another?"
Indians on Twitter responded swiftly and scathingly to the column and Mehrotra's assertion that men are under siege owing to "hysterical feminism."
Men are already feeling under siege? Please, women are just BEGINNING to find their voice.
Priya Ramani
@priyaramani
Men are already feeling under siege? Please, women are just BEGINNING to find their voice.
to help 'men under siege' differentiate between a doormat and a feminist.
Arpita Das
@yodakinthestore
to help 'men under siege' differentiate between a doormat and a feminist.
A journalist wrote this hilariously biting First Post.com column in response to Mehrotra.
Palash Krishna Mehrotra thinks Indian men are under siege. Me, I'm just a hysterical feminist asking, "What, men?" http://t.co/jguQ0Dk9ok
Deepanjana Pal
@dpanjana
Palash Krishna Mehrotra thinks Indian men are under siege. Me, I'm just a hysterical feminist asking, "What, men?" http://t.co/jguQ0Dk9ok
Others contributed to the epic #MenUnderSiege hashtag which trended in India.
"I had to work really hard to find that ecstacy I spiked her with, and now they say that it counts as non-consensual." #MenUnderSiege
Heavenly Dissident
@StonerJesus
"I had to work really hard to find that ecstacy I spiked her with, and now they say that it counts as non-consensual." #MenUnderSiege
"A bar full of women wanting to buy their own drinks, have fun, dance and go home, unraped, unmolested" #MenUnderSiege
Rachel Lopez
@GreaterBombay
"A bar full of women wanting to buy their own drinks, have fun, dance and go home, unraped, unmolested" #MenUnderSiege
Expects me to hold the door open for her. She isn't even pretty. #MenUnderSiege
Pun_star
@Mansimusing
Expects me to hold the door open for her. She isn't even pretty. #MenUnderSiege
There's a ladies compartment on the metro, but none reserved for men #MenUnderSiege
Nandini Krishnan
@k_nandini
There's a ladies compartment on the metro, but none reserved for men #MenUnderSiege
"Marital rape? GET THE LAW OUT OF MY MARRIAGE. Where can a man go to assault his wife in peace!" #MenUnderSeige
Battameez
@woh_battameez
"Marital rape? GET THE LAW OUT OF MY MARRIAGE. Where can a man go to assault his wife in peace!" #MenUnderSeige
Have to break stoic, silent, lantern-jawed pose to actually verbally ask "wanna have sex with me?" #MenUnderSiege
Amba Azaad
@AmbaAzaad
Have to break stoic, silent, lantern-jawed pose to actually verbally ask "wanna have sex with me?" #MenUnderSiege
The men who were supposedly under siege tweeted as well.
No place left to peacefully scratch my crotch without being stared at. #MenUnderSiege
Oculus
@daddy_san
No place left to peacefully scratch my crotch without being stared at. #MenUnderSiege
My boss is a t㍪̶l㍮̶n̶t㍮㍭̶ ㍪̶n㍭̶ ̶i̶n̶t㍮̶l̶l̶i̶g㍮̶n̶t̶ woman. #MenUnderSiege
Siddharth Singh
@siddharth3
My boss is a tãªÌ¶lã®Ì¶n̶tã®ã̶ ãªÌ¶nã̶ ̶i̶n̶tã®Ì¶l̶l̶i̶gã®Ì¶n̶t̶ woman. #MenUnderSiege
"Was very ungrateful when I sent her a dick pic." #MenUnderSiege
Overrated Outcast
@over_rated
"Was very ungrateful when I sent her a dick pic." #MenUnderSiege
Female phone operator puts me on hold #MenUnderSiege
Sanjay Sipahimalani
@SanSip
Female phone operator puts me on hold #MenUnderSiege
Asked by land lady to pay my rent on time #MenUnderSiege
Arun Mohan Sukumar
@arunmsukumar
Asked by land lady to pay my rent on time #MenUnderSiege
Had to make my own sandwich today. #MenUnderSiege
Oculus
@daddy_san
Had to make my own sandwich today. #MenUnderSiege