The Bangalore Vegan group was started by Mr. Dilip Bafna of Animal Rights Fund, India on April 2008. He had a vision of providing a fertile ground for vegans and non-vegans to come and explore the multifaceted benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

According to the director General of the World Health organization, the biggest threat facing humanity today are climate change, rising of new and old epidemic diseases, hunger, heart diseases, obesity, cancer, auto immune diseases and loss of freshwater.[1] Many people will find it surprising to believe that all these problems can be scientifically and efficiently mitigated if the world adopts a vegan diet.

The Worldwatch institute calculated that the meat and the diary industry combined are one of the most potent contributors of greenhouse gases.[2] In fact, the livestock industry has also been shown to damage the ozone. [3]

Water footprint network found that a mere 3% of total world water is freshwater. It requires ridiculous amounts of water to produce meat and other non-vegan food products. For example, it takes 208 Liters of water to produce just one cup of cow's milk. It requires 200 liters of water to produce one egg. 13,700 liters of water is required to produce just one kilogram of beef! One kilogram of chicken requires 3500+ liters of water to produce. And the above are just global average conservative figures. Now lets compare this with the most water intensive crops - rice and soy. One kilogram of rice requires 3500 liters of water to grow whereas one kilogram of soy requires approximately 1600 liters of water to produce. Compare this to wheat that requires merely 1000 liters of water to produce per kilogram. [4]

Apart from water, on an average, it requires 12 kilograms of grain to produce one kilogram of meat.[5] In fact, 70% of the total food we grow is fed to the animals to get significantly lower quantities of meat.[6] If this food is fed to the hungry, it can solve the world hunger problem 14 times over! [7] 1.4 Billion people can be fed if just the United States of America goes vegan![8] Funneling our precious water and food supply through the poor animals who are artificially brought into this world to meet the demand for our taste for meat in a world where billions are starving and have no access to clean drinking water is irresponsible on many fronts.

Apart from that, the livestock industry is also a major contributor to land pollution. On an average, the same amount of land can feed approximately 20 people on a vegan diet and only 2 people on a meat based diet.[8] Because of this, precious rainforests around the world are being destroyed at an alarming rate to meet the sky-rocketing demand for meat and diary around the world. Worldwatch Institute calculated that in order to make just one fast-food hamburger from rain-forest beef, members of 20-30 different plant species, 100 different insect species, and dozens of bird, mammal and reptile species are destroyed – for just ONE hamburger.[9]

We slaughter a hundred billion land and sea animals every year. That's a number the human mind cannot even grasp and comprehend. The oceans are dying because of overfishing and it has been estimated that since 13 of the major 17 world fisheries are dead already, there may be no seafood by 2048. An ocean devoid of fish also absorbs less CO2 thereby worsening global warming. [10][11]

When land animals are kept in an unnatural and unhygienic environment, crammed so that they cannot even move; they physically and mentally break down. This lowers their immunity and they become a breeding ground for pandemic influenza. Its noteworthy that this does not happen for animals in the wild. Before the domestication of horses, there was no common cold! The domestication of cows turned into measles. In the last 150 years measles have killed 250 million people. The domestication of camels turned into small pox. The domestication of pigs turned into whooping cough. The domestication of chickens gave us typhoid. The domestication of ducks gave us influenza. [12] Animal use has costed mankind more lives than all the accidents, natural disasters and wars combined. And it continues to kill people in the form of cancers, auto immune diseases and heart diseases.

Numerous peer-reviewed studies by some of the most prestigious health and scientific bodies around the world have independently linked the consumption of animal protein with various types of cancers and auto-immune diseases and animal fat with heart problems and obesity. In fact, the National Academy of Science concluded that the ideal amount of trans-fat that are only found in animal products and hydrogenated oils humans should consume is zero![13][14][15] The most ambitious health study to date, the China Study, hailed as the "Grand Prix of epidemiology” and the “most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease.”, and has been peer-reviewed multiple times reached the same conclusion. A vegan diet is the most natural diet for humans. [16]

Here is what the American Dietetic Association concluded in their position paper, "It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the lifecycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes." Volume 109, Issue 7, Pages 1266-1282 (July 2009) [17]

Evidence is now emerging that a vegan diet can reverse diabetes, certain cancers and heart diseases thereby providing a cheap, drug-free and healthy alternative to millions searching for hope.[13][14][15][16][17]

Another simple way to understand the benefits of a vagan diet for the planet is to imagine you are a car. According to Foodwatch, a vegan would consume the petrol equivalent of driving for 630 Kms per year. Contrast this with 2400 Kms for lacto-vegetarians and 4700 kms for non-vegetarians. [18]

There is no other one single thing we can do today to have such a significant impact on human rights, human health, the planet and most importantly the animals than to adopt a vegan diet.

Many high-performance athletes such as Robert Cheeke - Champion Bodybuilder, Martina Navratilova - Champion Tennis Player, Mac Danzig - Mixed Martial Arts Fighter and many others have gone vegan to improve their performance. Carl Lewis won 9 Olympic Gold Medals on a vegan diet! The list of vegan athletes are everincreasing. In fact, Iron Mike Tyson has also recently reported that he has gone vegan. [19] A vegan diet, as many peer-reviewed studies conclude, is “ideal” for people who seek fitness of both body and mind.

There are four kinds of fats that we can consume:

Great: Omega 3: Found in Flax Seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds etc,
Good: Mono Unsaturated : Found in Avocados, Almonds etc.
Bad: Saturated Fats : Found in Meat and Diary
Killer: Trans-fats : Found only in two places; Animal Products (Meat/Diary) and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils

It's true that you can occasionally come across an overweight vegan (due to the consumption of hydrogenated vegetable oils), or a lean non-vegan, but on an average, vegan are significantly more leaner than their non-vegan counterparts. A subset of vegan diet, called the RAVE diet can do the trick for people struggling with weight problems. RAVE is an acronym for no Refined foods, no Animal products, no Vegetable oils and no Exceptions.

So yes, a RAVE diet can definitely cut out all the bad and killer fat out of your life and you will notice wonderful results in no time without resorting to any fad crash diets and other unhealthy practices. [20]

Most people become vegan for ethical reasons. Therefore there are two kinds of vegan diets: healthy and unhealthy. While french fries, alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco and oily foods in general are vegan, they are not healthy. As mentioned before, a healthy vegan diet is called a RAVE diet and even if it's not followed to the letter, a conventional vegan diet is any day healthier than a meat and diary based diet. We have a mounting body of evidence today that trans-fat is one of the key reasons to get type II diabetes. Some people have even reported reversal or significant decrease in insulin intake for type I diabetes on a vegan diet low on oils.[22] India is the diabetic capital of the world. This piece of information should be god-send for people dealing with this degenerative disease that can lead to blindness and even amputation in later stages of life. Also, diary has been linked with the damage and/or cancer of the pancreas in men.[21] Women who are raised on diary reach menarche at the age of 12. Vegan babies reach menarche at age 18. Vegan women also hit menopause soon. This immediately shaves of 5-7 years of estrogen exposure thereby reducing the risk of breast cancer in women.[16]

Animal protein found in meat and diary have been linked with various cancers and auto immune diseases like multiple sclerosis.[13][14][15][16][17] Even autistic patients can benefit from a vegan diet free of wheat gluten.[23] High amounts of aluminum artificially added to cheese has also been linked with Alzheimer's.

Animal fat can give atherosclerotic plaques to humans since we are herbivores and not omnivores and they can cause heart diseases.[24][25] It's worth noting that cholesterol is not an essential nutrient, meaning we need not externally supplement it. Our livers produce all the cholesterol we need. Cholesterol is only present in animal products and no plant has ever been shown to contain cholesterol. A healthy vegan diet gives you zero cholesterol thereby eliminating any chance for us to get a heart attacks due to atherosclerotic plaques.

Its true that cancers, auto-immune diseases and obesity can have genetic causes. But genes alone cannot induce these diseases. They need a trigger in the form of animal protein and fats as was found by the China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and Health Project.[26] The chances of these disease occurring in nature due to genetic causes are statistically insignificant.

Your body will thank you in the long run for adopting a vegan diet. You will feel better, lighter and more upbeat. And of course, stay away from tobacco, alcohol and oily foods.

Nobody can live a long and healthy life on a meat-based diet alone - unless you want to live like the Eskimos who, on an average, live for only 20 years. [27] Even meat-eaters and diary consumers have to eat lentils, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Given the fact that humans are herbivores [24][25] and cow's milk is a complete food for you....only if you are a calf, we actually do not need any alternatives or substitutes. In fact, 60 % of the people cannot even digest cow's milk.[28] When you come to think about it, even cow's dont drink their own milk when they grow up. As stated by the American Dietetic association [17], a vegan diet can furnish us will all the nutrients we need. The complete adequacy of vegetarian diets is now so thoroughly proven and documented that even the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has acknowledged the legitimacy of meatless diets. In an official statement, these representatives of the beef industry declared, “Well planned vegen diets can meet dietary recommendations for essential nutrients.”. That said, honey can be replaced by Agave or Rooh Afza. Many vegans replace paneer with tofu and milk with almond, rice, coconut, or soy milk.

Other than that, no substitutes are required, just a whole food, plant based diet, preferably seasonal, organic and non-genetically modified.

We all know that calcium is required by the body to build bones. The bone strength is dependent upon four factors, namely, genes, diet, exercise and vitamin D. You can be sincere and you can be sincerely wrong. The diary industry all over the world promotes cow's milk as a human food often citing strong bones as a marketing mantra. Well, opinions mean nothing in science. Science tells us that moderate consumption of milk has no effect on bone density whatsoever and that excess consumption of diary can actually weaken the bones.[15] In fact, countries with the highest consumption of diary such as Finland, Sweden, USA and England also have the highest rate of osteoporosis (a disease of weakening of bones) in the exact same sequence.[8][36]

So where do vegans get their calcium? From where any other herbivores do: plants. The green leafy vegetables such as spinach, brusseles sprouts, mustard greens, broccoli, kale etc have more absorbable calcium than cow's milk.[8][29] A well balanced vegan diet can furnish not just calcium and protein but all the other essential nutrients for a healthy human body.[13][14][15][16][17]

Initially, it may seem like a vegan lifestyle is limiting in nature. But a visit to any vegan cooking website such as http://www.vegcooking.com can humble you. Polls show that almost all people eat just 9 types of dishes on a weekly basis in rotation.[30] It's not difficult to learn how to cook any 9 new dishes, let alone vegan dishes. That said, there are hundreds of vegan dishes from any cuisine and country you wish. Most people just drink cow's milk. As a vegan, you tend to drink coconut, rice, hemp, wheat, peanut, soy and almond milk – one type of milk every day of the week! A vegan lifestyle sensitizes your palette and you tend to savor more tastes and even plain rice tastes good after a while. So you rediscover what you have been eating all along in a new light. Once you explore your vegan options, it can actually be a bit overwhelming in a good way.

If you are astute, you can always find a vegan substitute everywhere. For example, there are vegan societies in almost all major cities in the world. In Bangalore, there is a restaurant called Our Native Village that has gone vegan! Also, there are bakeries like Carnival that bakes vegan cakes and pastries. You can eat vegan pizza at Little Italy and mock-meat is available in some hypermarts. Cafe coffee day has a vegan shake now. There are a slew of vegan items to choose from - from toothpastes to soaps and cosmetics. Vicco even writes "vegan" on its toothpaste. We have a range of leather free shoes from Bata. Many other vendors like JuteCottage, Baggit, GoDesign and Reebok have leather free wallets. Vegan chocolates like Bournville and vegan biscuits from Parle like Hide and Seek chocolate chips and Oreo are available in the market. More and more organic shops are opening doors. You can get a range of vegan tea at Infinitea. There are numerous Ayurvedic soaps available in the market that use vegetables as base. Over the last couple of years the choices have multiplied many folds. Becoming a vegan today is easier than we can imagine.

India is one of the best place for vegans. Much of our cuisines are naturally vegan or can be easily veganised upon request. That said, the most difficult aspect of being a vegan is not leaving animal products, but to live with non-vegans. Most people feel judged in the presence of a vegan even if she does nothing to promote it.[31] This leads to some social inconveniences since for many Indians consuming dairy is like breathing and they cannot imagine its even possible to live without cow's milk.

That said, as veganism is gaining grounds and as more people adopt a vegan lifestyle, its getting easier by the day to be accepted as one.

Studies show that fatty foods such as meat and diary is addictive in nature like cocaine.[32] This is because they stimulate and overwhelm the pleasure centers of the brain and can make you crave them. Any addiction can be difficult to beat for most people. This is the reason why most people are vegan due to animal rights reasons as they altruistically put animals first. This gives them the added motivation to be a vegan. I personally do not know anybody who is a vegan for health reasons – not to say there are none.

But habits can be broken and addictions can be overcome. The only thing that can change our lives is a decision. Once you have made the decision to lead a cruelty-free, environment-friendly and humane diet, the key is not to change in one day and not to shoot for perfection. It's easy to fall in the all-or-nothing psychological ploy – since I cannot be perfect, so let me be completely imperfect. First you should cut out meat from the meal and then give your body some time to realize its not getting it anymore. Burn the bridge. Once the body has accepted this, it'll stop craving. Next, add one diary free day to your life per week. Understand that one mistake or occasional indulgences in diary does not do a diet ruin. Once you have 5 diary free days under your belt, then you will find it easy to make the complete transition. Veganism is not about perfection, it's about progress. Take your time and let the cravings die naturally. After you are vegan for 3 months, you will “forget” what meat and diary tastes like.[35] This is because taste has to be continually reinforced to be remembered. If you fail in your first attempt, do not feel guilty or defeated. After a week, try again. Try as many times as it takes to become a vegan. Take support from your local vegan chapter or from the internet. Also, experiment with new dishes at home. [30]

Of course, people who go vegan for Animals drop animal products in virtually one day.

Most people do not become vegan for selfish reasons. The do so because they do not want to support cruelty towards non-human animals. The health and environmental concerns are an aside. Studies show us that people who adopt a vegan diet for altruistic and compassionate reason have a brain map of an empathic person. [33] Such people are also more upbeat and energetic according to some other studies.[34]

Apart from an emotional and spiritual upliftment, its an enlightening experience to see religion, politics, economics and the world in general through the paradigm of veganism.

It can be strange to see how people profess their dedication to reverse climate change and yet continue to eat meat and consume diary. It can be very fascinating to see doctors recommending diary and meat to diabetic, cancer and heart patients. It can be surprising to see human rights activist eat meat and support human rights violation. It touches and changes each and every facet of your perception.

In the words of Dr. Richard Dawkins, "The feeling that members of one's own species deserve special moral consideration as compared with members of other species is old and deep. Killing people outside war is the most seriously-regarded crime ordinarily committed. The only thing more strongly forbidden by our culture is eating people (even if they are already dead). We enjoy eating members of other species, however. Many of us shrink from judicial execution of even the most horrible human criminals, while we cheerfully countenance the shooting without trial of fairly mild animal pests. Indeed we kill members of other harmless species as a means of recreation and amusement. A human foetus, with no more human feeling than an amoeba, enjoys a reverence and legal protection far in excess of those granted to an adult chimpanzee. Yet the chimp feels and thinks and, according to recent experimental evidence, may even be capable of learning a form of human language. The foetus belongs to our own species, and is instantly accorded special privileges and rights because of it. Whether the ethic of 'speciesism', can be put on a logical footing any more sound than that of 'racism', I do not know. What I do know is that it has no proper basis in evolutionary biology."

Sexism, racism, "speciesism"...are all prejudices in different cloaks. There is a sense of completion, satisfaction and achievement in living your values free of prejudices. Like they say, you don't know what feeling healthy truly means unless you are really healthy. The same holds true for veganism too. It's many things rolled into one. It can be a political statement, a lifestyle or a spiritual pursuit or maybe all of them. But most importantly, it's liberating. After all, might is right is a morally bankrupt idea.

My name is Manuj Chandra Sharma. I am an Animal Rights Activist and the co-founder of an organization called Kranti (www.kranti.org) .

[1] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/media/lectures-and-presentations/item/267-flu-factories-tracing-the-origins-of-the-swine-flu-epidemic.html

[2] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/library/fact-files/environmentalism/73-livestock-and-climate-change-world-watch.html

[3] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/articles/research-papers/item/275-meat-contributes-to-ozone-production.html

[4] http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/embedded-water/

[5] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/media/documentaries/item/245-diet-for-a-new-america.html

[6] http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/multimedia/videos/Genetic-engineering-The-worlds-greatest-scam/

[7] http://www.kranti.org/damage/environment.html

[8] http://www.amazon.com/Food-Revolution-Your-Diet-World/dp/1573247022/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277177039&sr=8-2

[9] http://www.worldwatch.org/node/791

[10] http://endoftheline.com

[11] http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/11/061102-seafood-threat.html

[12] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/media/lectures-and-presentations/item/268-pandemic-prevention-bird-flu-and-other-emerging-infectious-diseases.html

[13] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/media/lectures-and-presentations/item/270-latest-in-clinical-nutrition-volume-1.html

[14] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/media/lectures-and-presentations/item/271-latest-in-clinical-nutrition-volume-2.html

[15] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/media/lectures-and-presentations/item/279-latest-in-clinical-nutrition-volume-3.html

[16] http://webarchive.human.cornell.edu/chinaproject/index.html?CFID=109192707&CFTOKEN=22455666&jsessionid=c430570497735e256119

[17] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/articles/research-papers/item/142-advantages-of-a-vegetarian-diet.html

[18] http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5041951&l=88ae3b3790&id=670975394

[19] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan_athletes#Athletes

[20] http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Off-Fat-Genes-Revolutionary/dp/0609809040/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277177883&sr=8-1

[21] http://www.cancerproject.org/survival/cancer_facts/prostate_dairy.php

[22] http://www.pcrm.org/health/clinres/diabetes.html

[23] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8869369

[24] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1312295/

[25] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2220599

[26] http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100660/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277178391&sr=8-1

[27] http://www.journeytoforever.org/farm_library/price/price5.html

[28] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/articles/research-papers/item/151-60-of-adults-can%5C%27t-digest-milk.html

[29] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/library/fact-files/brochures/88-official-kranti-brochure.html

[30] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/library/books/vegetarianism/78-vegetarian-starter-kit.html

[31] http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7052580.ece

[32] http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/28/fatty.foods.brain/

[33] http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0010847

[34] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/articles/health-and-nutrition/item/293-vegetarians-are-more-upbeat-study.html

[35] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/articles/research-papers/item/153-meat-eaters-live-a-lie.html

[36] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/library/fact-files/vegetarianism/52-health-concerns-about-dairy-products.html

Vegetarian diets are associated with healthy mood states: a cross-sectional study in Seventh Day Adventist adults

1. When was Kranti set up? What was the idea behind setting up this organization, which hails itself as a revolutionary group? What work do you do?

The reason why we naively regard humans as a superior species is because we believe humans have faculties that other animals don't. Recent breakthrough in science has led us to believe that a paradigm shift is in order.[1] Today, thanks to science we know that birds and cows can detect magnetic north[2], fish feel pain like humans[3] and that many animals, especially the ones raised for food, fiber and entertainment have faculties humans lost or never attained. It has been shown that Pigs can play video games, can trick a computer system to give them more food[4], can regulate air-conditioning based upon their comfort level and can outsmart dogs in IQ tests. Similarly, fishes and hens can navigate complex mazes and can outsmart human children in problem solving[5]. Sometimes, these non-human animals display an almost supernatural abilities. Since we now believe that all humans including blacks and women have rights, its time to identify the rights of non-human animals and extend it to them. For this purpose, Kranti was floated 9 months ago by a group of like-minded individuals. Everyone associated with Kranti strongly believes in equality for all species and we attempt to dispel speciesism which is an attitude of prejudice towards non-human animals. When they are capable of suffering as much as we do, why should they not have rights?

We have a multifaceted agenda. Our mission statement is provided below:

http://www.kranti.org/about/mission.html

Kranti's main focus is to research speciesism and educate people about Animal Rights but we also educate people about the environment[6], health[7] and human rights[8] violations by the livestock industry as an aside. We educate people that equality for all species does not mean that we should give a chicken the right to vote. It means that we should recognize the fact that a chicken has the same intelligence as that of a one year old human child[9] and just like we do not allow children to vote we should not extend it to chickens as well. It also means that we should provide all the rights given to a human child to a chicken.

We believe in promoting the science behind equality even if its inconvenient to many. The treatment rendered to highly sensitive and intelligent beings such as cows and hens in the slaughterhouses will land people in jail in some places if extended to dogs or cats[24]. Yet, scientifically, these animals suffer pain just as much. To come to a realization that man is in no way special than other animals exploited for milk, meat, fashion or entertainment, like Darwin wrote in the Descent of Man, requires a paradigm shift no less than that of a spherical earth. It requires a revolution of human consciousness, hence the name Kranti.

In this respect, we hold public protests and other events in colleges to champion the cause of total abolition of animal abuse. You can access some recent event pictures below:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=212989&id=670975394&l=1f3bc441ab

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=200801&id=670975394&l=2aa1459aa0

2. How does Kranti promote a vegan lifestyle among Indians? When did the group begin work on promoting veganism in India? Was this one of your core agenda?

Ironically, when we started Kranti, our aim was not to convert people to a cruelty-free lifestyle, but to provide support to the already existing vegetarians in India who just account for 20% of the population and are taking up meat-eating due to peer-pressure and corporate propaganda.[10][11] But thankfully, many people are responding to logic[12] and making the right lifestyle choices. Kranti furthers its agenda through public demonstration and the internet. We also conduct seminars in colleges to educate the youth, who at this age are looking for an identity and a philosophy to adhere to. The group has been promoting the message of equality as individuals even before the incorporation of Kranti . Veganism is always at the core of all our activities.

3. How many members does the group have? What is the general profile of your members? How many new members join you every year?

We have 5 core members, all vegans, who plan the strategies plus one moderator. On our facebook group, we have 44 volunteers plus some more in real world that we can call upon. Our website has received more than 30,000 hits from all over India and the world in the last 9 months and the response is phenomenal. Our supporters are very slowly but gradually increasing.

Our members come from all walks of life, from housewives to programmers and doctors. All of the vegans I personally know have chosen a cruelty-free lifestyle because of non-human animal rights reasons.

4. How many Vegans are part of Kranti’s member group? Has there numbers grown in the last five years? If yes, by how much?

All 5 core members of Kranti and all of our volunteers are vegans.

India produces 3 times more milk than China, even though the population is almost identical. This leads to the slaughtering of cows since the cows who cannot produce (more) milk end up in someone's plate, waist or shoe.[13] So, consumption of seemingly innocent products such as milk and honey[14] cannot be termed ethical. Therefore, it's mandatory for all members of Kranti to be vegan.

In the past, we have definitely seen an uprise of vegans in India.

5. Do you have figures on roughly how many Vegans there are in India today? Have the numbers increased in the last five years? If yes, by how much?

There are many people in India who are unknowingly following a near-vegan lifestyle, since they already do not consume meat and leather and cannot digest milk (60% of adults cannot digest milk from other species since its not meant for human consumption)[15]. This coupled with the fact that we don't legally recognize veganism as a food choice in India like we do with vegetarianism, its hard to get any concrete figures. We know around 300 vegans through social networking and I have been told that according to PeTA estimates there are approximately 20,000 vegans in India. Whatever the actual figures are, I believe its optimistic.

6. Why do you think that an increasing number of urban Indians are adopting a vegan lifestyle? Is it because Indians are becoming aware of animals rights, are globally-traveled, any other reasons?

The core essence of veganism - reverence for all life - is not something new to India. Its interwoven in the fabric of Indian religions and philosophy. Most people are already lacto-vegetarians. Many people get exposed to veganism through the work done by mainstream organizations like PeTA and Humane Society of the United States in India and around the world. They learn about it through celebrities like Pamela Anderson, Maneka Gandhi, John Abraham and Shaid Kapoor.

Another two channels that introduce people to veganism are climate and health. People are getting educated by the media about the livestock-climate connection and the fact that the livestock industry is one of the topmost contributors to Global Warming[16][17]. Also, studies are pouring in linking milk and meat with heart diseases, diabetes and cancer[18].

Also, more and more people are learning about the human rights violations by the meat industry. 70% of the world grain goes to feed the livestock that is later brutally slaughtered and consumed. This grain can feed billions of starving humans. For eg; It takes 12 Kg of grain and 13,000+ liters of water to produce just 1 Kg of beef.[19] Meat compresses food and water thereby aggravating world hunger. Also, it requires tremendous amount of fossil fuel to refrigerate and transport animal products because they decay very fast.

All the above mentioned factors and them some kindles their curiosity and they do more research online. There they get introduced to the inner workings of the meat and diary industry through undercover investigation videos and documentaries like Earthlings[20]. Since humans are anatomically herbivores[21] and are naturally compassionate to animals they decide not to support this injustice. People start their journey on veganism to support humans, the planet, their health or the animals. But when the dust settles, they all end up supporting life.

7. How easy or difficult is it to be a Vegan in India? Is it easier now to be a Vegan in India today than it was five years ago? If yes, how?

India is one of the best place for vegans. Much of our cuisines are naturally vegan or can be easily veganised upon request. That said, the most difficult aspect of being a vegan is not leaving animal products, but to live with non-vegans. Most people feel judged in the presence of a vegan even if she does nothing to promote it. This leads to some social inconveniences since for many Indians consuming dairy is like breathing and they cannot imagine its even possible to live without cow's milk.

That said, as veganism is gaining grounds and as more people adopt a vegan lifestyle, its getting easier by the day to be accepted as one.

8. What are the vegan options available in India in terms of restaurants, cosmetics etc? Is there an increase in such options being made to Vegans in India? If yes, can you give examples?

If you are astute, you can always find a vegan substitute everywhere. For example, there are vegan societies in almost all major cities in the world. In Bangalore, there is a restaurant called E-Inn Our Native Village [22] that has gone vegan! Also, there are bakeries like Carnival that bakes vegan cakes and pastries. You can eat vegan pizza at Little Italy and mock-meat is available in some hypermarts. Cafe coffee day has a vegan shake now. There are a slew of vegan items to choose from - from toothpastes to soaps and cosmetics. Vicco even writes "vegan" on its toothpaste. We have a range of leather free shoes from Bata. Many other vendors like Baggit, GoDesign and Reebok have leather free wallets. Vegan chocolates like Bournville and vegan biscuits from Parle like Hide and Seek chocolate chips and Oreo are available in the market. More and more organic shops are opening doors. You can get a range of vegan tea at Infinitea. There are numerous Ayurvedic soaps available in the market that use vegetables as base. Over the last couple of years the choices have multiplied many folds. Becoming a vegan today is easier than we can imagine.

Let me know if you need any further clarification. It would be great if you can mail the final article to any one of us for technical accuracy.

Regards,
Manuj Chandra.

References:
[1] http://www.amazon.com/Second-Nature-Inner-Animals-MacSci/dp/0230613624/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271928708&sr=8-1
[2] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2623809/Cows-point-north-thanks-to-in-built-compasses.html
[3] http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/04/29/UPI-NewsTrack-Health-and-Science-News/UPI-83361241041440/
[4] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ImZmDYme_s
[5] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16796139/
[6] http://www.kranti.org/damage/environment.html
[7] http://www.kranti.org/damage/health.html
[8] http://www.kranti.org/damage/humanity.html
[9] http://www.fowlplaymovie.com/display_video.php?id=4
[10] http://www.kranti.org/connect/forum/9-revolutionary-support/379-should-we-have-a-target-audience-or-go-secular.html#379
[11] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjFH6yZ8LIA
[12] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6180753.stm
[13] http://www.kranti.org/whats-wrong-with/milk.html
[14] http://www.kranti.org/whats-wrong-with/honey.html
[15] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/articles/research-papers/item/151-60-of-adults-can%5C%27t-digest-milk.html
[16] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/library/fact-files/environmentalism/73-livestock-and-climate-change-world-watch.html
[17] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/library/fact-files/environmentalism/53-copenhagen-climate-conference-2009.html
[18] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8629358.stm
[19] http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/embedded-water/
[20] http://www.kranti.org/knowledge-base/media/documentaries/item/149-earthlings.html
[21] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1312295/
[22] http://www.ournativevillage.com/contact_us.htm
[23] http://vegan-india.blogspot.com/2010/04/e-inn-luxury-star-bangalore.html
[24] http://blog.peta.org/archives/2010/02/peta_agrees_wit.php

The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts. - C.S. Lewis

Today we live in a highly competitive environment. Adjectives such as "cut-throat" and "professionalism" are used to describe this artificially created phenomenon that mankind has never witnessed before at this magnitude or scale. This begs the question as to what are we trying to achieve with our lives and what are we essentially competing for? What is it that requires us to be competitive to the level that we have to metamorphically slit the throats of our own peers and colleagues as professionals?

"Our" earth produces food for 8.5 billion people yet hundreds die of hunger and chronic malnutrition every day. There is enough food to feed our current population of 6.5 billion people and then some. Where is all our food and water going? What are we competing for and why? What is our true motive and purpose?

Thankfully science and spirituality sheds some light on these questions. As humans, we all want to be happy. No one can deny this stark fact. We want to be happy. We get up in the morning and pray to our God or wish that today and the remaining days of our lives be full of happiness and satisfaction. No one desires to meet an accident or an incurable chronic illness. When people fail to become happy and there is no hope for happiness in the near future, they often resort to suicide.

There are many roads to Rome. We are all trying to pursue happiness in variegated manners - and we should. This is the fundamental motive of all beings and all other purposes stem from it. We want to be happy, satisfied and contended. Its an undeniable fact of human existence.

Our craving for happiness is so strong that some try to seek it for eternity. The reason why people want to get rich or seek an eternal afterlife is because we believe this will buy us security and in return, life-long or eternal happiness. Our pursuit of social recognition, wealth, fame or name are just disguises for our congenital evolutionary instinct of a better life and for some - afterlife.

When it is our fundamental instinct to be happy, why are we so adamant in denying this basic fact pertaining to our fabric of existence? Why are anti-depressant sales skyrocketing and why are our youths more unhappy and depressed than any other time in recorded history? Why is it that we all want to be happy but we're not? And why is it than in order to solve our problem of unhappiness we are in-turn creating more dangerous problems?

Today we are facing real and grave issues threatening our very existence. Man-made climate change, food, water and land shortages, rise of new and old illnesses and an epidemic of lifestyle diseases such as cancer, obesity, heart diseases and diabetes are not something you can attribute to a rational being like humans. These man made shortages will also fule wars and famine.

If we are indeed rational creatures - beings created in the image of God himself then we alone have the power and know-how to avert the catastrophe of our own creation and all other species we have destroyed in the pursuit of our psudo-motives. Will Durant once said, "Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance." And in the words of G. K. Chesterton, "It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong." Where have we lapsed?

As young, we all went through some system of education. This education system was designed by supposedly wise men and women to equip our future generations with skills and tools that should allow them to pursue what matters to us most - happiness. But today we stand on the threshold of catastrophic man-made unnatural disasters. Where has our education failed us?

If one contemplates astutely, there are some very basic human needs that all must meet irrespective of gender, creed, race, religion or origin. Hypothetically, its possible to live without a house, clothes, sex, religion etc, but no one can live without food, water and air. It doesn't matter what your belief systems are, where you come from or where you are going, you cannot live without healthy food, clean water and pure air. Yet mankind has suffered a debacle in the preservation of our basic survival needs, a folly so fundamental that all other stems from it.

We have been taught and equipped with skills to read and write, but not what to read and write. We have been taught to accumulate wealth, which may be important, but not how to accumulate positive experiences that will really make us happy. C.S. Lewis once observed that education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.

Today, people employ sophisticated calculations in choosing which car or camera to buy, which house to live in and which mutual fund to invest into, but most people don't even know where the stomach or prostrate is in the human body and never think twice about the repercussions of their food choices. Most people don't know that papaya is a richer source of vitamin C as compared to lemons and whether humans are herbivores or omnivores. Alfred E. Newman very rightfully observed when he said that, "We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons." This half baked knowledge about our environment, our nature and ourselves is the source of our illusion of education and knowledge. In the words of Daniel J. Boorstin, "The greatest obstacle to knowledge is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge." We don't know what to put in our mouths, we don't know how to breathe and exercise and we don't know how to protect our harvestable water bodies and other perishable natural resources. Studies have shown that our children know more about imaginary video-game characters like Pokemon but cannot even identify five species of plants. We live in a society exquisitely dependent on plants and animals, in which hardly anyone knows anything about plants and animals. We have our priorities reversed.

Our forefathers, who laid the foundation of our country made it our business to ensure that Armageddon wouldn't materialize into reality. Chapter IV-A. Article 51A(g) of The Constitution of India stated that, "it shall be the fundamental duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the Natural Environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for all living creatures." We have failed our God, we have failed our country, we have failed the creatures who so humbly came to us for sanctuary and most importantly we have failed ourselves. We as a species have failed the test of natural selection. We are failures.

Hope springs eternal. Its never too late to change. And the solution lies within us. Humans are a predominantly moral animals. We use this skill in one capacity or another to sustain the human society. We erect laws to force compliance. We have house of laws to enforce that we don't astray from our natural instincts. Some may find this hard to believe and thats natural because our current education system has done little to develop this area of our brain called the right temporo-parietal junction (RTPJ) which deals with moral judgment. Like any other part of the brain it needs support to be nourished and developed. This can be confirmed by a thought experiment.

Suppose our mother dies. The "dead" body is lying on the floor. The reason why its called a "dead" body is because its incapable of any physical or emotional sensations whatsoever. Its more non-responsive than a plant. Its a collection of minerals, metals, cells and atoms. Yet we treat this dead piece of blob with much more reverence and respect as if it were alive. Most will find it absolutely abhorrent to disrespect this dead piece of meat in any fashion, be it consumption, spitting or indulgence in a sexual activity with this piece of protein. This shows that humans by their very nature are ethical, compassionate and moral creatures.

Yet, because of our underdeveloped moral judgment thanks to the failure of our education system we have turned into something we are not. We treat members of other species like hen and pigs as if they are worse than our dead. Lack of complete education leads to ignorance and ignorance leads to what psychologists refer to as "arguments by ignorance". In the name of "profit" and "less-awareness", we confine and mutilate them in horrific and unimaginable fashion. We show no respect towards our perishable natural resources just to pursue a motive that will lead us to a few moments of temporary satisfaction - the shadow of happiness. This disease is called "superiority complex".

Although it may sound harsh, but its time to face ourselves in the mirror. Its time to get a reality check as to why we have become a race of apathetic, sick and cruel hypocrites? Why for a few moments of temporary gratification we are condemning other earthlings to hell? Why for a few moments of joy we are living a non-sustainable and cruel lifestyle?

Its time for a change. One simple philosophy and one simple practice can solve all our problems. Its compassion. Like any other skill taught in schools and colleges like mathematics and language, we need to learn and develop compassion. And there is no better way to apply compassion in our day-to-day lives than by living a cruelty-free life and letting children learn by imitation. By teaching our minds to be more diligent and compassionate we can make a significant impact to our consciousness and the planet and all its earthlings who are here with us in this democracy of life. There is still time to do justice to our innate natural motives, to our country, to our life and afterlife, to our God, to the planet and all its co-inhabitants and last but not the least - to the human race.

One must not forget that whatever motives we may pursue, we need our health and the planet for it to materialize. If we will not choose now, the decision will be made for us. Say yes to a whole food plant based diet. Say no to animal products, edible or otherwise. This will solve half the problems mankind faces today. If this is accepted and acted upon motivated by universal compassion and a reverence for all plants, animals and the planet - that will solve the other half.

And that is the purpose of life - a life of purpose.

Dean Ornish talks about simple, low-tech and low-cost ways to take advantage of the body's natural desire to heal itself.

A) LAW:

B) ETHICS:

C) RELIGION:

Eating meat has been linked with various types of heart diseases and cancers. Countries with the largest consumption of meat have heart diseases and cancers as their top two killers. Health care industry in U.S.A is a one trillion dollar industry. Unless we want India to emulate this pattern of sickness, we must encourage people to stick to a plant based diet only.

Having a system in place that gives people the "right" to eat animals at a global level is ridiculously taxing on the environment. To funnel our food supply through the animals means growing more food than we need and this means greater destruction of the rain-forests and pollution of the water bodies and air. Consider the following facts to evaluate the second-hand damage for non-meat eaters.

Environmental violations by the meat industry add up to a rap sheet longer than War and Peace. - Sierra Club in their 2002 report on animal factories

A meat-fed world now appears a chimera. World grain production has grown more slowly than population since 1984, and farmers lack new methods for repeating the gains of the green revolution. Supporting the world's current population of 5.4 billion people on an American-style diet would require two-and-a-half times as much grain as the world's farmers produce for all purposes. A future world of 8 billion to 14 billion people eating the American ration of 220 grams of grain-fed meat a day can be nothing but a flight of fancy. - Durning, Alan B. & Brough, Holly, Worldwatch Institute

Water consumption (University of California Agriculture Extension)
1 pound of lettuce:        23 gallons
1 pound of tomatoes:    23 gallons
1 pound of potatoes:     24 gallons
1 pound of wheat:         25 gallons
1 pound of carrots:        33 gallons
1 pound of apples:        49 gallons
1 pound of chicken:    815 gallons
1 pound of pork:        1630 gallons
1 pound of beef:        5214 gallons

Life forms destroyed in the production of each fast-food hamburger made from rain-forest beef: Members of 20-30 different plant species, 100 different insect species, and dozens of bird, mammal and reptile species.

What a hamburger produced by clearing forest in India would cost if the real costs were included in the price rather than subsidized: $200

Calorie of fossil fuel expended to produce 1 calorie of protein from soybeans:          2
Calorie of fossil fuel expended to produce 1 calorie of protein from corn or wheat:    3
Calorie of fossil fuel expended to produce 1 calorie of protein from beef:                 54

Amount of greenhouse-warming carbon gas released by driving a typical American car, in one day: 3 Kg
Amount of greenhouse-warming carbon gas released by clearing and burning enough Costa Rican rainforest to produce beef for one hamburger: 75 Kg

World’s mammalian species currently threatened with extinction: 25%
Leading cause of species in the tropical rain-forest being threatened or eliminated: Livestock Grazing

100,000 cows produce as much waste as a city of 1.7 million humans.

Number of people whose food energy needs can be met by the food produced on a 2.5 acre of land:

If the land is producing cabbage:        23 people
If the land is producing potatoes:        22 people
If the land is producing rice:                19 people
If the land is producing corn:               17 people
If the land is producing wheat:            15 people
If the land is producing chicken:           2 people
If the land is producing milk:                 2 people
If the land is producing eggs:                1 people
If the land is producing beef:                 1 people

Cattle alive today on Earth: More than 1 billion
Weight of world’s cattle compared to weight of world’s people: Nearly Double
Area of earth's total land mass used as pasture for cattle and other livestock: ½

US Corn eaten by people: 2%
US Corn eaten by livestock: 77%

US farmland producing vegetables : 4 million acres
US farmland producing hay for livestock : 56 million acres

US grain and cereals fed to livestock: 70%

Human beings who could be fed by the grain and soybeans eaten by US livestock : 1,400,000,000

Although most of the above statistics are from U.S, we must understand that its one earth and whatever happens to the rain-forests will have a worldwide impact.

About Kranti: Kranti is a virtual organization working on animal rights issues in India. Kranti's main focus is to dispel "speciesism" by providing equal rights to all life forms that posses a central nervous system no matter how primitive.

If you had asked me last week to name my favorite Richard Gere moment, I would have taken a long pause before finally deciding on that scene in the 1980s movie American Gigolo when he shimmied in his boxers as he paired his ties to shirts. What can I say? I've always appreciated a man who cares about his appearance.