Kolkata's ISC Topper Renounced Surname, Declares Humanity As Religion, Parents React 'It Gives Us..'

Srijani, an ISC topper of Kolkata, recently made it to the headlines after she renounced her surname and declared her religion to be 'humanity'. Not only did her academic success bring her into the limelight, but also her convictions brought her into the limelight. She recently declared renouncing her surname and choosing humanity to be her religion, which is far beyond any kind of inequality, be it social, economic, or religious. The 17-year-old lady's decision was influenced by her belief in egalitarianism.

Kolkata ISC topper, Srijani renounces her surname and declares 'humanity' to be her religion

It was soon after her class XII boards that Kolkata-based topper applied for permission to register herself only with her first name for the Council’s records, and it was accepted. Srijani is a student of The Future Foundation School in Kolkata, and talking about her decision to remove her surname from her name, the principal said that there was no objection from the institution's side. The principal added that the surname isn't mandatory, and it is that what she feels. The principal further stated that everyone deserves to live by their own self-respect, and when a family wishes the same, then there should be no issue from their end. In the principal's words:

"As long as the law is satisfied, this is not an issue for us, and it’s not mandatory. I believe every person should be allowed to live with their self-respect, and if the family so wishes, we will go along with that."

Srijani reveals why she decided to renounce her surname 

In a conversation with the Times Of India, Srijani talked about her decision to renounce her surname and take 'humanity' as her religion. She said that she is against every kind of inequality. She further tagged communal aggression and religious chauvinism as divisive forces. Srijani mentioned that a multicultural society can only prosper with tolerance, mutual respect, and egalitarian ideas. Srijani can be quoted as saying:

"I am against all kinds of inequality—social, economic or religious. Communal aggression and religious chauvinism are divisive forces. A multicultural society can prosper only with tolerance, mutual respect and egalitarian ideas."

Srijani's mom reacts to her daughter renouncing her surname 

In the same interview, Srijani's mom, Gopa Mukherjee, who is an assistant professor at Gurudas College, said that she didn't change her surname after her marriage. She also shared that the children have a choice to use any of his/her parents' surnames. She further added that she and her husband have no belief in patriarchy and caste hierarchy for that matter, and they wanted their kid to live free from any kind of burden. She further stated that it gave her utmost pleasure that their kids respected their decision all along.

Srijani's father reveals that they have kept the former's surname blank on her birth certificate

Srijani's father, Debasish Goswami is a mathematician at the Indian Statistical Institute. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in 2012. Talking about her daughter's decision, Debasish stated that even on her birth certificate, they have kept the surname place blank, and it didn't raise any serious questions for that matter. He shared that a surname isn't mandatory even for passports, but it's all about mindset. He further added that although he and his wife mentioned their surname, they tag their religion as humanity. In Srijani's father's words:

“We have never faced any major question about it. A surname is not mandatory anywhere, not even in a passport, but it is a mindset. We use our surname but mention our religion as ‘humanity’."

What do you think about Srijani's decision to renounce her surname?

Also Read: 'Never 50-50 Between Both Parents': Sania Mirza's Candid Take On Motherhood, Parenting And Guilt

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