You can be an atheist by heart but it will be a daunting task for you to accept it in front of our old school society. Even if you decide to not care about society, there are chances that you might face rejection in close quarters, at home.
However, in a world where religion is never just religion, Rajveer Upadhyay from Ahmedabad, Gujarat is trying to make a change. We are here to narrate the story of this braveheart, who has dared to challenge these stereotypical beliefs, if not anything.
According to Times of India, Rajveer being a non-believer wants to change his name to ‘RV155677820’ in a bid to live life the way he wants to.
The peculiar number ‘RV155677820’ stands for the short form of Rajveer and his enrolment number on his school-leaving certificate. Rajveer believed that his name pointed to his caste and hence the step.
Speaking of the same he said
“I am a rationalist and secular person and this is a secular country. The law of the country should give me the right to be known as an atheist. If I write my name and surname, people will know my religion and caste but I do not want my identity to be shrunk to the narrow confines of religion and caste.”
However, the 34-year-old got a bitter response from the authorities as his appeal was declined by a Gazette office in Rajkot. And without citing a valid reason!
The auto-rickshaw driver who to tried to include an atheist column in the ‘religion’ section of the form was slammed with the notice “New name according to your desire cannot be published”.
However, Rajveer already has his next step outlined.
He aspires to take this matter to the Gujarat High Court throwing a challenge to the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act.
No matter the number of barriers, Rajveer ain’t giving up soon. Whether you agree with him or not, it is imperative to note that he is determined to fight with all it takes. Again, to live life the way he wants to and not how religion dictates it.