Anti-natalism: Movement to stop human reproduction

A group of anti-natalists met on February 10 in Bengaluru to emphasise the need for ‘child-free’ living. This meet was a first-of-its-kind to be held in Bengaluru.

Organised at Mantri Square, the meet attracted anti-natalists from various cities across the country.

Pratima Naik, an engineer turned social activist along with a few friends is spearheading a movement called ‘Child-Free India’.

She has traveled to many cities to get in touch with anti-natalists and understand why they want to be child-free.

"There are more than 20 lakh orphans in India; if you are keen to experience parenthood, it's better to opt for adoption," Pratima says.

Pratima and her team of anti-natalists who are working collectively towards this movement are asking people to stop reproducing, claiming that the world is no longer fit for human existence.

Anugraha Kumar Sharma, a freelance brand consultant, says, "It's great if people don't want to reproduce, but if they insist, it’s good to stick to a single-child policy."

The members of ‘Child-Free India’ are looking forward to organising meet-ups with activists of anti-natalism across the country.

Raphael Samuel, a believer of anti-natalism, recently caught everyone's attention as he said he will sue his parents for giving birth to him without his consent.

The 27-year-old self-described anti-natalist shared various videos on his YouTube channel 'Nihilanand' explaining why he wants to sue his parents.

“If we are born without our consent, then we should be maintained for the rest of our lives. We should be paid to live," he said in a video.

His thought is that he didn’t give permission to be brought into the world and that his parents should pay for his life.

Raphael's argument has garnered both positive and negative responses on social media.

He uses his Facebook page of the same name to share his thoughts on anti-natalism and also to create awareness about it.

What is anti-natalism?

Anti-natalism is a philosophical idea that believes human beings are a destructive force to animals and to the earth, and therefore it’s morally wrong to create more of them.

South African philosopher David Benatar was the first one to propound the theory of 'Anti-natalism' in his book 'Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence'.