Kerala High Court Justice VG Arun while speaking at an event organised by the Kerala Yukthivadi Sangam said, “children without religion and caste are the hope for a good future”.
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KERALA: Kerala High Court judge Justice VG Arun recently delivered a powerful message underscoring the importance of raising children free from the confines of religion and caste.
Speaking at an event organised by the Kerala Yukthivadi Sangam, a prominent rationalist organisation, he remarked that “the hope for the future lies in children who are unbound by the notions of religion.”
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Justice Arun praised parents who consciously choose to educate their children without tying them to religious or caste-based identities, stating that such children will be the ones to question the status quo and bring about necessary social change in the future.
Justice Arun’s address, delivered in Malayalam, was part of a memorial event for renowned rationalist writer Pavanan and also celebrated fellow rationalist author Vaisakhan for their contributions to rationalist thought. Both writers had chosen pen names that rejected caste-based surnames. Pavanan was born Puthan Veetil Narayanan Nair, and Vaisakhan was originally Gopinathan Nair.
Justice Arun also shared a personal note, recalling how his father, the late TKG Nair, himself an author and activist, was inspired by Pavanan and wrote under the pseudonym Anilan.
Justice Arun lauded Pavanan and Vaisakhan for standing by their principles despite social pushback, observing that such voices are increasingly rare in today’s digital age, where rationalists are frequently attacked online.
Expressing concern over the toxic nature of online discourse, he pointed out that he often comes across hateful, derogatory language while dealing with petitions seeking to quash criminal proceedings related to social media posts.
“Social media warriors pounce on them like vultures.”
He said, lamenting how such content pollutes the Malayalam language and reflects a deep decline in rational, civil dialogue. In contrast, he stressed that the presence of bold rationalist voices like Pavanan and Vaisakhan once served as a check against such decay in public discourse.
Importantly, Justice Arun has also backed his words with action in the courtroom. In a landmark 2022 judgment, he upheld the right of individuals to be officially recognised as “non-religious” in government records, a significant affirmation of secular values in India.
The judgment came in response to a petition by students who had completed their Class XII exams and sought community certificates under a non-religious category for college admissions. Citing constitutional principles, Justice Arun observed,
“The declaration by certain citizens that they and their progeny are non-religious can only be perceived as a bold step towards that constitutional goal,”
referring to the long-term objective of achieving a classless, casteless society through secularism.
Through his words and judicial work, Justice Arun has championed a rational, inclusive vision for India, one that empowers the next generation to think critically, reject inherited social divisions, and embrace the values enshrined in the Constitution. His call for raising children beyond religion is not just a personal belief, but a blueprint for a more equitable and questioning society.
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