In this episode of I Agree, Abhinandan Sekhri hosts men’s rights activist Barkha Trehan – fresh off controversy after supporting rape convict Kuldeep Singh Sengar amid protests over his bail.

Trehan doesn’t hold back: she talks about men being “framed” in false cases, the “misuse” of workplace harassment norms, political silence on men’s rights, and the “narrative” that has changed in TV studios.

As head of NGO Purush Aayog, Trehan has awarded some eclectic recipients: from a security guard beaten by a drunk woman to Abhijit-Iyer Mitra. Things get even stranger when she diagnoses India’s gender ratio crisis. Why are women underrepresented in the workforce? An “easy money scheme,” she says, pointing to “extortion” of men using false charges. Female foeticide skewing the sex ratio? “It’s a myth,” she insists.

The demand for men’s rights has gained steam in India, with protests calling for gender-neutral laws and media sensationalism around crimes like the “blue drum murder”. A private member bill and petitions have tried to address this “gender bias” in the penal code with demands for a men’s rights commission. 

Trehan blames political apathy: all parties act the same, she says, though one BJP MP did raise the issue after she invited him to an event. On steps by the media to address gender issues, she says the “narrative has now changed”, pointing out that she is called to TV studios for debates. “No discussion is complete without me.”

Suicides linked to marital issues have historically been higher among women, except in recent years, but Trehan claims the number of men who died is actually “thrice” those of women. Violence inside homes is often overlooked, Abhinandan notes, claiming he was repeatedly beaten by his mother and sisters growing up. Trehan’s response? “I won’t let it happen again… I must meet your mother and sisters. I need to give them a class.”

Identity-based rights are meant for those on the receiving end of oppression. But asked about same-sex marriage, Trehan is noticeably quieter. Her grand proclamation? She doesn’t discriminate, even as she runs an organisation exclusively for men and dismisses systematic issues facing women as fabrications. 

So why does it need a woman to speak about men’s rights? 

Watch as Abhinandan agrees all along, letting Trehan build her house of cards.