Hyderabad, May 30 : With two out of five marriages ending in divorce in the country, the Child Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (CRISP), first of its kind non-governmental organisation, has taken up the cause of men who were denied access to their children

Higlighting the plight of over five lakh such parents, especially fathers, CRISP Founder President Kumar V Jahgirdhar here today told reporters, ''In many cases despite court orders, fathers are not allowed to see their children. Children should have equal access to both parents for them to lead a normal life. We must make shared parenting mandatory.'' Mr Kumar, himself was fighting a legal battle for equal access to his daughter from his wife Chethana, who has now married to Indian Cricket legspinner Anil Kumble.

He pressed for setting up of special courts for disposal of child custody cases in a maximum of three months and enactment of laws to make shared parenting mandatory

Noting that misuse of anti-dowry laws and other woman-protection laws were a serious problem in the country, he said increasing number of aged parents, sisters and children in husband's family were implicated in ''false cases''.

''The mothers in order to take revenge on their husbands, don't allow them to see the child. Courts and Governments should understand that fathers too have love and affection for their children,'' he contended.

CRISP presented the case of a Non-Resident Indian pharmaceutical scientist V Ravichandran in Florida, who has been denied access to his six-year-old son Aditya for over 670 days with his mother moving their son from one place to another.

The CRISP would hold roadshows all over the country to mobilise public opnion on the plight of fathers, he added.

--- UNI