Man in India is suing parents for giving birth to him without consent

If you've ever found yourself bemoaning the state of your life and wondering whose fault it is, Raphael Samuel will tell you that your parents are to blame.

Samuel, 27, is planning to sue his parents for giving birth to him without his consent. Based in Mumbai, Samuel is also reported to be a member of the anti-natalist movement which advocates against procreation and argues that it is morally wrong.

His highly controversial stance on having babies is espoused repeatedly throughout his social media posts and even a YouTube video in which he defends his decision to embark on the lawsuit.

Samuel has even compared procreation to "kidnapping" and "slavery" in a meme posted on his Facebook account.

In fact, his constant postings on the topic have drawn the ire of the public.

Interestingly, though, his point of view isn't exactly unwelcome.

While you might be inclined to think that he has an antagonistic relationship with his parents, it has been reported that Samuel actually enjoys a cordial relationship with them. He just doesn't believe in having a child for the sake of it.

He said: "I love my parents, and we have a great relationship, but they had me for their joy and their pleasure. My life has been amazing, but I don't see why I should put another life through the rigamarole of school and finding a career, especially when they didn't ask to exist."

In a recent post on Samuel's Facebook page, his mother, Kavita Karnard Samuel, seemingly responded to the controversy. She wrote that she was impressed with his "temerity" and that she will accept fault if Samuel can "come up with a rational explanation as to how (they) could have sought his consent to be born".

She also defended Samuel and added that the media has only focused on a "sliver" of his beliefs and that his "concern for the burden on Earth's resources due to needless life" and his "sensitivity toward the pain experienced unwittingly by children while growing up" has been "ruefully forgotten". She concluded the post by expressing her pride for her son.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/raphael.samuel/posts/10216407814881244[/embed]

As bizarre as it may seem, anti-natalism is actually a philosophy that is gaining prominence in India and should this lawsuit actually move forward, there will definitely be interesting times ahead.

bryanlim@asiaone.com