Overview

• Justice VG Arun urged parents to raise children without religious or caste labels, calling such upbringing essential for shaping India’s next generation of rational thinkers.
• He delivered the remarks on July 9 at a Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham event honoring rationalist writers Pavanan and Vaisakhan.
• Arun linked his appeal to his 2022 landmark ruling that secured individuals’ right to identify as non-religious in official records.
• He praised mothers and fathers who forgo attaching caste or faith to their children’s names, saying these youngsters will challenge societal norms without fear.
• The justice also warned that social media discourse often undermines rational debate and stressed the ongoing need for secular values in public life.