STOP MAKING BABIES!
That’s right. This is the concept that is being propagated lately by an Indian group, the members of which like to call themselves Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEM) activists and ‘efilists’ – who, in most simple terms, want you to stop making babies.
Their ideology is simple – don’t make babies, because they never asked to exist. There is even a term for such an ideology, called ‘anti-natalism’. It is a philosophical position that assigns a negative value to birth.
Anti-natalists believe that reproduction is wrong and that your babies are harming the planet.
Sounds weird, right? It isn’t actually so weird, though. A lot of their arguments do make sense if you think about it.
The Movement And Its Objectives
Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEM) – the name is quite suggestive in itself. The movement is completely voluntary and non-violent, and it is quite clear about its objective, which is to spread awareness about living a child-free life.
The long-run goal of the organization is to set up a national-level organization that does the same.
Pratima Naik, who is one of the leaders of the movement, told The Print, “This is a completely voluntary, non-violent movement. We don’t want to impose our beliefs on anyone, but more people need to consider why having a child in the world right now isn’t right.”
We’ve all seen how the concept of ‘consent’ is popularizing these days, even though it’s a shame that something just as basic as consent needed popularization.
Anyway, consent of the child being conceived is something that is unheard of, and this is why the movement is growing slowly, albeit steadily.
Also Read: Why Parents Need To Control Their Kids In Public Places Like Metros And Restaurants
Working towards building a ‘child-free’ society, the group is aiming to stage a protest in Bangalore on February 10.
Not Anti-Child, But Anti-Birth
It is important to point out that the movement is not anti-child, but anti-birth. What differentiates the two is that the birth of a child adds to the population. Instead, it wants you to adopt a child instead of producing it.
Even though the movement itself is something new, this concept is being practiced by the young-generation couples of today for quite a while. Despite all the hoopla around it, the urban Indians have been choosing not to have a child.
The movement argues that deciding not to produce a child is contributing to the sustainability of the environment.
In addition, it wants you to not bow down to the societal pressure of keeping your name alive by producing children, and it offers support and solidarity to couples who do not want to produce children.
Terms such as ‘mombie’ and ‘semen-demon’ are being used by the anti-natalists for those who become parents.
Overpopulation is a genuine problem in India, which has caused a number of additional problems, from global warming to economic crisis.
Nevertheless, it will take a while for the Indian society to swallow the pill of not producing a child.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Print, India Times, Times Now
Find the blogger at @manas_ED
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