A man in India who has been running an anti-natalist movement has said that he will sue his parents for giving birth to him “without his consent.” Anti-natalism is a philosophical position that assigns a negative value to birth.
The man, identified as Raphael Samuel, 27, has been running an anti-natalist page on Facebook called Nihilanand for quite some time, and with hundreds of followers, the movement has been gaining momentum.
According to a report by the Print , Samuel said that although he loves his parents and has had a great relationship with them, he believes that his parents had him for their own joy and pleasure.
In Indian culture, where it is expected of children to take care of their parents when they grow up, Samuel is trying to introduce a new idea. “I want to tell all Indian kids that they don’t owe their parents anything,” he said, per the Print.
The activist added that he has, so far, led an amazing life. But he doesn’t feel the need to put another life “through the rigmarole of school and finding a career, especially when they didn’t ask to exist.”
The article further detailed that although the notion of anti-natalism appears to be dramatic and negative, Samuel said that he is not anti-children or anti-life. Instead, he believes that children who have been brought into the world without their consent is not right.
A piece by the Daily Mail provided further details of the movement and reported that some people in India, who have been following the anti-natalist movement, are against the idea of having children because they think that there are already enough humans in the world and having more children will put a strain on Earth’s resources.
https://www.facebook.com/thenihilanand/photos/a.414888688964326/613281915791668/?type=3&theater
The article quoted Pratima Naik, another anti-natalist, who said that followers of the philosophy do not want to impose their beliefs on others and added that the goal of the movement is to create awareness about the matter. They further aim to inform people to consider that bringing more children to the world is not right at the moment.
As the news went viral on social media, people showed a mixed reaction to the concept of anti-natalism. While the majority condemned the movement, a very few people came forward to support it too.
One Twitter user said that Samuel must be hanged to death as it will resolve his problem, while another commentator made fun of the movement and ironically added that Samuel should be sued by oxygen because he breathes it without the consent of the gas.
Another user said that such movements are initiated when the subjective claim to freedom and liberty goes outside normal human reasoning, civility, and decorum.
Supporters of the moment, however, commented that the advantages of the movement outweigh its disadvantages and such causes should be encouraged.
