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This Week in AsiaPeople

Why some Indian millennials don’t want to have children

  • There are various reasons, from the pursuit of careers to a rejection of India’s patriarchal values
  • Others believe that human beings should stop procreating to ensure the survival of other species

Reading Time:4 minutes
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Aishwariya Kathiravan, right, is among a growing number of anti-natalists and child-free advocates in India. Photo: Handout
Varsha Torgalkar

As an animal-lover, Aishwariya Kathiravan, 27, is heavily troubled by how human beings have led to the suffering and even extinction of some of the world’s flora and fauna.

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The parent of three dogs and two cats, who lives in the south Indian city of Chennai, has rescued more than 100 dogs and helped to arrange the adoption of dozens of cats and dogs over the past 10 years.

Her love for animals led her to become an anti-natalist – a person who believes that the human race should stop procreating to ensure the survival of other living species.
“It is better not to have kids if you are not emotionally or financially capable,” said Sourav Dixit, shown with his wife, Darshana. Photo: Handout
“It is better not to have kids if you are not emotionally or financially capable,” said Sourav Dixit, shown with his wife, Darshana. Photo: Handout

Kathiravan, who made the decision seven years ago, is among a tiny but growing number of anti-natalists and child-free advocates in India who are defying the social norms of having children.

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The reasons are varied, with some preferring to pursue careers, rejecting the financial commitments involved, or not wanting to subject a child to an increasingly uncertain world amid the coronavirus pandemic and climate change.
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