Tohana: For 33-year-old Ravi, a resident of Tohana tehsil at Fatehabad in Haryana, a protracted legal battle to be officially declared an atheist ended last month.
On 29 April, the Haryana government handed Ravi a certificate officially declaring that he belongs to no caste and no religion, making him among the very few Indians with that distinction. According to reports, Tamil Nadu lawyer Sneha was the first Indian to be officially handed such a certificate.
Ravi told ThePrint that the fight for the ‘no caste, no religion’ certificate, issued by the tehsildar’s office in Tohana, was the result of an over two-year legal struggle and one that has come at a heavy price.
Not only has he lost his job but he has also had to contend with social discrimination.
“I was working at a government veterinary hospital on a contract basis in Samain village. It is a Jat-dominated village. Within six months of my joining, several buffaloes lost their lives,” he told ThePrint. “The villagers began alleging that this was happening because I was an atheist. They had the support of some people associated with the RSS. After all this, I quit the job and returned home,” he said.
“The situation had worsened to such an extent, that people even refused to drink the water served by me,” he added.
The road to atheism
Ravi told ThePrint that his journey to atheism began when he was a four-year-old caught up in a brawl with some of his neighbours.
“My grandfather was a firm believer in Lord Krishna and always told me that Krishna helps those under duress. That day I kept praying to Lord Krishna but those four kids thrashed me brutally,” Ravi said.
“Another incident that led to my final disenchantment with God happened on Diwali,” he added. “There is a saying that if you keep your doors open, Goddess Laxmi will come to your home and bless you with prosperity. One Diwali, I kept vigil all night but no Goddess visited us; only a mouse entered our home.”
The desire to be officially declared an atheist was also prompted by the caste discrimination he faced.
“I found out about my caste for the first time when my school teacher asked me,” he said, adding that his time at IG College in Tohana, was no better. “The situation did not change a bit in college. There too no one cared about studies; all they were interested in was caste dominance and discrimination.”
A few years ago, Ravi discovered that Shaheed Bhagat Singh was also an atheist, and then decided to follow suit
But when he approached a lower court to be officially declared an atheist in 2017, his family refused any financial help and threatened to expel him from the household.
Ravi says he persevered nevertheless and tasted his first legal victory in January 2018 when a Tohana court allowed him to prefix his name with nastik (atheist). The certificate, he added, is the final declaration of his victory.
“I have also got a certificate for being a social change maker, just like Anna Hazare. I want to completely eliminate the caste-based system,” Ravi said.
Disillusioned with Kejriwal
Atheist Ravi is also annoyed with politicians who invoke God and religion for electoral gains. He told ThePrint that he was once associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) but has now grown disillusioned with party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
“About a week ago, I sent a legal notice to Arvind Kejriwal. In 2014, he led a revolutionary campaign just like Shaheed Bhagat Singh,” Ravi told ThePrint. “Now he is saying that AAP would not have got 67 of the 70 seats without divine intervention. These people are misleading the public. It is the public who voted for them, not the Gods.”
He is also writing a book to catalogue his struggle but wants to devote himself to social service. His mobile ringtone perfectly sums up his intentions — Jeena isi ka naam hai (This is how life is).
Also read: India’s caste problem has a silver lining: urbanisation, and inter-caste marriage
People can go to any length for name and fame these days. Why cares if you’re an atheist or a worshiper!
Once a girl wanted to be nameless and called herself Anamika, without realising that Anamika is also a name.
Bhai, Bhagwan ko manna ya na manna bilkul personal hai… Tum Ye certificate le kar AK aur social division ke aur ja rahe ho bus….. Bhagwan ko na manna bhi AK trah se negitive sense Mai kahi na kahi manna hi hai….
India Mai caste system AK social security system hai.. Lekin agar koi khud ko best jati ka samjhta hai to vo murkh hai… Aur uske murkhra ke result jaldi aa jayega..
Dost hamari culture khud ke karam ( act) par adharit hai aur kahti hai ki tumhari karam hi karan aur fir sanskr bante hai… Tum ias /ips prime minister /president ban sakte ho kisne roka hai..
Agar apka samajh aoko itne mauke de raha hai to aap uski tarif tokabhi ni karte.. Govt kistni sudhaye de rahi hai… Be positive dost India se secular desh nahi milega aur Ye Hamri culture ki vajah se hai.. Hamko bar barbye batya jata haibki ham Mai kaiya hai.. But gym world ki largest democracy ke sath fastest growing economy hai
Really great person. B blessed for success in life. None is high or low by birth but deeds make one do ( rig ved). Jabir was a man . None knows his Caste creed or race. India dominated by invaders have came enslaved mulnivasis . Lateron false stories &concocktions in form of scriptures in whom forced belief by conspiracy of human creation , varan vyavstha baman inch , kshetriya much, vaisya nighter ,sudr nichtam as per Lahor high court reservation given by ups discontinued by mss so as make them in their side in higher caste unlike other box and their other brother atisudra achhoot. Really I have opened eyes of cheats and of those who r asleep since violence of Ramayana & mahabharat thereatter man made caste & creed are great problematic to the whole world . Goon shining like for name Ravi Sun. Jaibhim Hsu babudvip broken into pieces by the invaders / jumlebaj / cheats
Om tat sat . Sri vasudev inki raksha kare.bhut dukhi hh bhai.ram RAM RAM ji
Dear god yes/no in ur thinking.because everyone in your mind.i agree with you my friend.
Well done my friend but I m not agree with u about God. Belief is basic nature of human being. We have to belief someone which is above us. Like u believe that no God is there. Otherwise caste and religion I support u my brother.
There is no need for a Hindu to believe in GOD and worship idols. Also a person can write his/her religion as Hindu and can be an atheist as well. This Ravi seems to be a leftist activist seeking his career in politics.
Ravi reminds me of the times when I was his age, and even younger. I too believed there was no God. My father was a man who by his temperament did not speak much, so he would just look at me affectionately, nodding his head with a smile on his face, as I gave my “scientific reasons” to prove that there was no God. I don’t remember what reasons I proferred then, nor did my father care to know what I was talking about. But every time as he got up to go to his bedroom, signalling to me that enough was enough, he only said, “lekin beta, koi toh Shakti hai”.
Very sad, the way he is being treated. Believing in God, is a personal matter. It cannot and should not be forced on anyone. We not only force people to believe in God, but sometimes, even which God to believe in! Hope our countrymen rise above such petty mindless and let everyone live in peace.
ऐसे चुतिया प्रिंट वाले ओर ऐसा ही चुतिया ये नास्तिक। ये bhosdikaa जाटों को आरएसएस का वर्कर बता रहा है इस bawaligend को पता नहीं आरएसएस और जाटों का दूरदूर तक कोई वास्ता नहीं। बहन के लोडे ने उल्टेसिधे काम किये होंगें motherchod इल्जाम जनता पर लगा रहा। अखबार भी टोटली चुतिया साला।
Bhai Saccha aur imandar person atheist hota hai, so am I.