Kerala high court judge Justice VG Arun recently called on society to take the example of children raised without religious or caste identities as the true hope for a more rational future.
According to the Bar and Bench, Justice Arun made the remarks while speaking at a commemorative event organised by the Kerala Yukthivadi Sangam.
During his address, Justice Arun lauded parents who choose to raise their children outside the bounds of religion and said such kids are likely to grow into adults unafraid to challenge societal norms.
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"I laud each of you who send your children to school and teach them without attaching religion or caste to their names. These children are the promise of tomorrow. These are the children who will tomorrow ask the right questions without fear, even in the face of opposition from society," Bar and Bench quoted Justice Arun as saying.
The event was held to commemorate Pavanan, a revered rationalist writer, and also to felicitate fellow rationalist author Vaisakhan.
{{/usCountry}}The event was held to commemorate Pavanan, a revered rationalist writer, and also to felicitate fellow rationalist author Vaisakhan.
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Justice Arun paid tribute to both, highlighting their lifelong commitment to reason and secular values by shedding their caste surnames in favour of pen names.
Justice Arun on secularism
Justice Arun also drew a personal connection, recalling how his late father, TKG Nair — an author, politician, and activist — was deeply influenced by Pavanan, even adopting the pseudonym “Anilan” in his early writing.
"Social media warriors pounce on them like vultures. I am currently presiding over the jurisdiction which deals with quashing criminal proceedings. Many petitions that come before me are to quash cases registered based on social media comments. I have to read these posts to consider those cases. It is distressing, but I must say these social media posts pollute the Malayalam language. I have often wondered how a Malayalee can debase themselves in such a manner. I believe this is due to the lack of rationalists like Pawanan and Vaisakhan", Justice Arun said.
Notably, Justice Arun's comments are not confined to public speeches alone. In 2022, he delivered a landmark judgment that upheld the right of individuals to identify as non-religious in official documentation.
The judgment was passed in a case filed by a group of students who had cleared their class XII exams and sought community certificates in the non-religious category for college admission.