Indian man sues parents for giving birth to him without his consent

27-year-old Raphael Samuel, a Mumbai businessman is suing his parents for bringing him into this difficult world without his consent. Samuel is a self-identified 'antinatalist' advocate; antinatalists believe that people should abstain from procreation because it is morally wrong to give birth to sentient beings without asking for their consent. Samuel told The Paper, “I want to tell all Indian kids that they don’t owe their parents anything.”

“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.”

Samuel has a Facebook page dedicated to the antinatalist cause, in which he shares posts about antinatalism. In one of such posts, he ponders, “Why should I suffer? Why must I be stuck in traffic? Why must I work? Why must I face wars? Why must I feel pain or depression? Why should I do anything when I don’t want to?” Another post reads, “Arguably the most common motivation of antinatialists is the fact that one creates suffering by having a child."

In another, Samuel says, “If you reproduce, you can be certain that your child will experience suffering. Illness, sadness, existential dread and injuries are the most obvious consequences. Other forms of suffering like bullying, rape, violent crime, abuse, and discrimination, are not guaranteed, but they are improbable.”

Samuel says he and his parents still share a close relationship despite the forthcoming legal action. In a YouTube video uploaded last week, he revealed, “My mother said she wished she had met me before I was born and that if she did, she definitely wouldn’t have had me.

“She told me that she was quite young when she had me and that she didn’t know she hand another option. But that’s what I’m trying to say — everyone has the option.”

In the video, he also tell his audience, “I want everyone in India and also the world to realize one thing: they are born without their consent.” 

“If we are born without our consent, then we should be maintained for the rest of our lives. We should be paid to live," says Samuel in the said video, donning a fake beard and sunglasses.

When asked if he’s unhappy being born, he responded saying: "I wish I was not born. But it's not that I'm unhappy in my life. My life is good, but I'd rather not be here. You know it's like there's a nice room, but I don't want to be in that room."

Do you share Samuel's opinion? Do you wish you weren't born?

Let us know in the comments.