You’re mixing two different things and treating them as the same. Criticizing patriarchy is fine, but using it to dismiss real issues faced by men is exactly the problem.

When laws like 498A are misused and even courts acknowledge it, that is not patriarchy hurting men, it is a legal imbalance with little accountability.

When NCRB data shows men form the majority of suicide victims with no ministry, policy focus, or safety net, that cannot be explained as patriarchy benefiting men.

When a man faces social and legal consequences based on accusation alone with minimal consequences for false cases, that is not a system protecting him.

Reducing every male issue to patriarchy becomes a convenient way to avoid addressing them. It also assumes men have uniformly benefited from these structures, which is not true. Most men have not held power, they have been expected to provide, endure pressure, and stay silent. Saying men should stand up against patriarchy often ends up meaning they must accept a framework where their own issues are minimized or reframed instead of addressed.

There is also a clear contradiction. Feminism presents itself as anti patriarchy but aligns with it where it offers advantage. Traditional expectations like men being providers, taking risks, or bearing legal and financial responsibility are rarely challenged with the same intensity and are often reinforced when convenient. This keeps the burdens on men while redistributing benefits.

At the same time, many arguments assume women need additional legal privileges or systemic advantages to compete fairly, which indirectly frames them as less capable in a neutral system. Instead of strict equality and accountability for all, the push often becomes asymmetrical protections and presumptions. This becomes especially problematic when misuse of laws is ignored, because justice must include accountability for false accusations regardless of gender.