3 reasons you shouldn't hate vegans and 3 reasons you actually can

 

3 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T HATE VEGANS PART 1

I completely understand why most of western cuisine is meat based. If I had what they traditionally have as vegetarian food – grilled broccoli, mashed potatoes etc…DAILY as my only quota of veggies, I would absolutely hunt down an animal and personally slaughter it. Western meat-eating diets aren’t as much a result of a lack of morality as much as a lack of masala.

I mean...western world has figured out a way to make everything attractive except veggies

Indian cooking doesn’t restrict vegetarianism to just veggies- different grains- Bajra, Jowar, Ragi, Rice etc. can be used to make everything from biscuits to soup to parathas/dosas. But as popular food critic/defense analyst Abhijit Iyer Mitra would say – Indians are not vegetarians as much as we are ‘Dalerians’. We make the best use of Daal’s i.e. lentils/pulses (I have no idea what’s the difference between the two) – Moong, Matki, Tur, Udad etc etc. We found ways to extract protein out of daals in the best possible and most delicious manner. Our creative use of masalas and oils is just the added benefit. 

But having said that India also is kind of the worst place to be a vegan. Now for those still not in the know- A vegan is more than just a Jihadi Vegetarian. A vegetarian is someone who doesn’t eat meat for a variety of reasons ranging from socio-cultural-religious beliefs, ethical beliefs or health reasons. Either way vegetarians consume milk and some consume eggs which both come from animals without killing them. Veganism is more of a lifestyle than merely a dietary choice. Vegans try and not consume ANYTHING that has any animal products in it. Be it cosmetics or food. So no eggs, no honey and no milk. Some of them go far enough to not buy leather or animal derived gelatine and are often environmental activists. Many people worldwide understand veganism as eating plant-based food, which in a way is its primary focus.  So, for the scope of this article, lets limit ourselves to dietary aspects of veganism.

So why is India one of the worst places to be a vegan? - well, you don’t get to ask that question if you are Indian.

 

Becoming a vegan in India is a Vishwamitra x Menaka level struggle

 

 If I put a gun to your head and gave you 10 seconds to name 5 Indian desserts that don’t have any kind of dairy in it- you would rather eat Ras malai and ask to be shot. We Indians are the largest producers and consumers of dairy products. Not just the desserts, even in our savoury cuisine – we use ghee, curd, paneer, buttermilk, cream freely as bases for our chutneys, curries and raitas. We had mastered the art of not wasting milk owing to its rarity in the ancient times by using it in many forms possible. So you ll get the absolute best vegetarian food here, but as a vegan you ‘d have to be very careful.

But let’s face it right- most people hate vegans and veganism. They are the butt of all jokes in any diet related comedy. Even pure vegetarians who have never eaten meat in their life, either mock vegans or think it’s just a new age dietary fad. Now I like to call myself a recovering vegetarian- I still haven’t given up meat entirely. I don’t know if I can ever go fully vegan. But for the sake of exploring, I don’t mind trying it. But that’s my personal choice entirely. However, if you are a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian – here are three reasons why you shouldn’t hate vegans –

 

 

You should absolutely thank me for not putting animal cruelty images here

Right about cruelty: I mean they do have a point. Ok we all know killing animals is cruel etc. So the arguments against meat eating are well known thanks to traditional vegetarianism in India. But what about milk and eggs? Well, we do worship and respect cows more than other countries but cows don’t just produce milk all year round. They do it when they are pregnant obviously. So, to produce the amount of milk we need regularly, the cows or buffaloes have to be bred artificially. Often cruelly.

 Bulls are of no use now since we switched to using machines in farms and guess what happens to them? Its no co-incidence we are in the top 5 leather and beef exporting countries in the world. Although we don’t cage our cattle and allow them more relative freedom unlike factory farms in western countries. But when they can’t produce any milk- they are usually left on the roads as strays to die from starvation. Since cow slaughter is illegal in most states in India, they are sold and often transported in trucks over thousands of kilometers for slaughter.

 Poultry industry in India isn’t exactly cruelty free either- We don’t worship chickens hence they are not as respected as cows. Therefore we treat them with much less freedom and respect. Also, male chickens are of no use. You get the idea of what happens to them.

 We may come up with a ‘plants feel pain too’ argument that I have myself used multiple times. But yeah, that doesn’t mean animals don’t. Plants feel it to a lesser degree. I now have no logical or ethical reason for why I eat eggs or consume dairy other than habit and taste.

 I think most people do know this in their hearts and somehow can’t bring themselves to face the uncomfortable truth. That’s why they hate vegans. But let’s admit that they do have a point. Don’t feed yourself bullshit arguments about ‘personal choice’ or ‘protein requirements’.

 

2)     Not just a fad: Now veganism may seem like a new dietary fad suitable for the ultra rich but that’s not sustainable and natural. I mean we weren’t born to consume soya based cheese or oat milk coffee right??

 

Well we weren’t naturally meant to eat KFC or seekh kebabs either. OR smoke. OR drink. OR take dental treatments. But we do all that. Because we evolved. The debate on whether a plant-based diet is actually healthy has now been settled by a variety of research. Many athletes have switched to plant-based diets and achieved better results. The Netflix documentary (yes, I know there is some controversy regarding it) Game – Changers is worth a watch for anyone doubting the health impacts of a plant-based diet. More academic research like the China Study has proven links between meat and dairy consumption to increase in heart attacks and cancer.

 

So even if you forget the ethical aspects, purely for health reasons going vegan can actually be good for you.

 

 

 

3)     The sweeper argument – If you like consuming meat, you should absolutely adore the shit out of vegans. You should write them poems to them and serenade them when they are on the balcony. In fact, you should absolutely encourage more people to be vegans. Why? Well, you don’t mock or hate the person who sweeps your roads right?

 Hating or mocking vegans is the same as that. Guess what’s the biggest cause of pollution in the world? Contrary to what Captain Planet cartoons may have convinced you (God, I feel old) – it’s not just smog producing factory chimneys or your fuel guzzling cars. Its cow farts. I mean literally. The animals raised for meat emit a lot of methane gas. They also need a LOT, I mean A LOTTTTT of water and land for them to just end up as a steak dinner.

 You could technically feed 10 times more people vegetables and crops if that land was used for farming. Eating red meat is a cancer to your body as well as the planet. Indiscriminate commercial fishing by using bombs (yes motherfucking bombs) is causing damage to the seas and not allowing the fish to regenerate. Commercialized meat and fish industry is damaging the planet, buying an electric vehicle isn’t going to solve it.

The vegans are trying to minimize the damage. They are cleaning up the planet. So as a meat eater you should absolutely encourage the shit out of vegans so that you can enjoy your food guilt free.  

 

Having said that, Vegans are humans do and make a lot of mistakes. Here’s why people are right about hating vegans and what they should really introspect about – to be continued in PART 2