India Against Speciesism

Imagine being born just to be someone’s lifelong slave or to be tortured and killed for their avoidable wants. That’s the story of the tens of billions of land & marine animals that we yearly use for food, clothing, entertainment, experimentation, labour, etc.

Linked to this unimaginable misery is an unjust attitude similar to racism, casteism, sexism and heterosexism. It’s called species-ism – the discrimination that leads to the exploitation of a class of sentient beings on the ethically irrelevant basis of their species. For our obligation to not cause unnecessary suffering, the question is not ‘Can they talk or reason?’. All that matters is ‘Can they suffer?’. And, animals can suffer acutely – physically and emotionally. Hence, there is no justification for causing them suffering and death, except in rare self-preservation situations.

Animals raised for meat (such as chickens, pigs, goats, fishes) and hens raised for eggs are subjected to a lifetime of enslavement, other atrocities like mutilation and premature death. Like meat and eggs, milk production also leads to the torture and killing of cows and their babies. Similarly, honey, leather, wool, silk, fur, pearls, entertainment avenues like zoos & circuses, animal-tested products, etc. also involve a lot of barbarities towards innocent sentient beings. Hence, millions of people around the world – including many in India – practice and promote being vegan, i.e., avoiding the above mentioned things and other uses of animals (except in rare cases wherein they are absolutely necessary for survival). In addition to preventing animal exploitation, avoiding animal-based choices is also crucial for improving our own health and mitigating environmental degradation. And, you can do it today without forsaking your favourite tastes or comfortable clothing. Vegan alternatives exist for almost everything including sweets, ice-creams, cakes, curd, and cheese. Even meat and paneer have non-animal-based substitutes in mock-meat and tofu respectively! Read on for details:

Animals feel love, joy, fear and pain just like you and I do. They are NOT object, ingredients or fashion.

• The acute misery caused by eggs and meat
• Milk: A source of immense animal suffering
• “But, don’t plants feel pain too?”
• Nutrition, health and vegan eating
• Vegan for the environment and food security
• “But, doesn’t killing animals for food keep the animal populations in check?”
• Species-ism
• Renowned vegan personalities
• Leather, wool and silk are NOT cruelty-free byproducts
• The cruelty caused by consuming honey
• Does it harm employment? Not at all
• “Agreed, but what about insects in the house?”
• Vegan alternatives exist for almost everything!

The acute misery caused by eggs and meat

Chickens raised for eggs and meat are stuffed awfully in tiny cages or a stinking compound containing scores of birds. To reduce the losses by the agonized birds’ pecking, they are de-beaked (i.e., their beaks are chopped off with a hot blade) without anesthesia at a very tender age! At the end of their miserable lives, the birds are butchered barbarically in full view of their terrified fellow victims! The egg hatcheries (even the so called ‘free-range’ ones) brutally kill all male baby chicks, since they can’t lay eggs, and don’t grow fast enough to be raised for meat. This 3-minute clip of Indian poultry farms depicts some of the shocking horrors suffered by egg and meat chickens. The tale of suffering is equally sad for fishes, goats, pigs and other animals raised for humans.
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Milk: A source of immense animal suffering

The cow (or the buffalo), a mammal like us, has to become pregnant and deliver a baby to be able to produce milk. And, her milk flow lasts only for a limited period after delivery. But, for any tabela/dairy to be financially viable, every cow in it needs to produce milk continuously. Hence, she has to be forced into a constant, body-breaking cycle of pregnancy, birthing and milking! The repeated impregnation is done through a torturous process involving either a shared bull or artificial insemination, exposing the cow to diseases. The cow’s babies, the rightful owners of her milk, are largely deprived of it. Since male babies are useless for milk production, they are either starved or sold to be slaughtered or skinned (often alive for soft leather)! Like humans, cows are deeply attached to their babies. Yet, calves are separated from their mothers, who are subsequently seen letting out cries of anguish for weeks! Milk is mostly extracted through machines, which often run even after the cow’s udders are empty, resulting in a lot of pain. She is injected with hazardous growth hormones like Oxytocin, causing her severe stomach cramps and bone weakness. Kept constantly pregnant and/or lactating, dairy cows get spent very quickly. At less than half their natural age, they are either thrown out on the streets to die eating plastic, or brutally hurled into trucks, which transport them to slaughter houses to die as atrocious a death as their lives have been. This 5-minute video, shot across various Indian tabelas/dairies, shows all of these and other barbarities taking place routinely.
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“But, don’t plants feel pain too?”

This is a totally flawed argument. If plants feel pain, that’s actually yet another reason to avoid animal products! That’s because eating animal food (indirectly) takes many times more plants than eating plants directly does. A non-vegan consumes not just animal products, but also the plants fed daily to the animals for their entire lifetimes! Up to 5 times more grains are required to produce the same amount of calories through animals as through direct grain consumption. Thus, avoiding animal food causes the least harm to plants too. Besides, the majority view among scientists is that plants can not feel pain, as they don’t have a central nervous system.

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Nutrition, health and vegan eating

One can get all the required nutrition as a vegan as long as one follows sensible eating habits and takes supplements for vitamin B12, vitamin D, etc. as needed. Note that these cautions have to exercised by non-vegans as well. As substantiated by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, milk protein actually leaches calcium from the bones, resulting in bone weakness! Plus, humans absorb only 32% of the calcium in cow’s milk. Even in calcium content, milk is surpassed by dozens of plant foods: leafy green vegetables (like coriander, methi, radish, curry patta), til (sesame seeds), ragi, almonds, rajma, peas (e.g., chana), moong sprouts, soya products like tofu, etc.

The countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis (bone weakness)
are those boasting the highest consumption of dairy products!

If you consume enough calories, you are bound to get enough protein! That’s why protein deficiencies are mostly found in malnourished people. In fact, excess protein leads to serious harm. Anyhow, there are plenty of protein-rich plant foods: all pulses (dal), soy products, all legumes [peas like chana, beans such as rajma, etc.], almonds & other nuts, seeds, and more. In fact, there have been quite a few world-class vegan athletes and body builders, ranging from two-time Olympian Seba Johnson (a vegan since birth), to long-distance runner turned renowned bodybuilder Robert Cheeke (another long-time vegan). Many have also sustained babies and pregnancies on totally vegan food, and are healthier for it!

Milk, eggs and meat account for most of our cholesterol & saturated fat, and contain no fiber. Contrastingly, plant foods are rich in fiber (essential for good digestion), and contain no cholesterol. These facts are among the several reasons behind the following alarming summary from a number of independent studies, including the biggest study ever to link food and health [Undertaken by Oxford University, Cornell Univ. & others under the name ‘The China Study’]:

Milk, eggs and meat cause or aggravate many dreaded diseases including
heart disease, high BP, cancer, asthma, diabetes and bone weakness.

In other words, vegan food does way more than the removal of excess body fat, and improvement of fitness/energy & digestion. It is actually essential for good health. ‘The Last Heart Attack’, a CNN documentary, features Bill Clinton, who has cured his heart disease through healthy vegan food. It also has the testimonies of many eminent doctors/scientists who advocate plant-based food. The awareness is rising in India too. Dr Nandita Shah has successfully solved a lot of diabetes and heart disease cases merely through healthy vegan food! Moreover, animal foods are alarmingly high in antibiotics, pus & pesticides. The pesticide concentration is much higher in milk, eggs & meat than that in vegetables. Recently, the Food Safety Authority of India found 68% of India’s milk contaminated with pesticides, detergents, etc.!

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Vegan for the environment and food security

Animal products use up resources like land and water massively, since the tens of billions of animals that we breed every year have to be fed & hydrated daily all through their lives. Growing loads of crops for animals and then eating animal-based food is a terribly inefficient way to feed ourselves: It takes up to 10 kg of grains to make 1 kg of animal food! The UN finds that animal agriculture uses up a whopping 50% of the world’s grains, and enormous deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions & energy depletion! As much as 50% of India’s maize becomes animal feed. There’s simply not enough land and water to continue using animal products. A huge contributor to climate change, our non-vegan choices also cause a lot of air pollution [animal farms release harmful gasses like H2S & methane], water pollution [through farm runoff] & soil degradation.
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“But, doesn’t killing animals for food keep the animal populations in check?”

we breed (i.e. artificially produce) the animals whom we exploit and kill for food and other purposes. Year on year, tens of billions of animals are brought into the world through artificial or forced insemination only to provide for animal-based food and other choices. Hence, moving away from the use of animals will actually lower the populations of the exploited animal species, because animals will not be bred into existence for human wants.
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Species-ism

Similar to injustices like racism, casteism, sexism, and heterosexism, speciesism refers to the exploitation of animals because of their being non-human. Just like it is wrong to discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, etc., it is also unjust to enslave or torment animals belonging to non-human species (that too merely for pleasure, not survival)? Why should justice & kindness be confined to humans when animals too feel pain acutely?

“Animals exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans,
just like black people were not made for white people, and women not for men.”

What we are doing to animals is analogous to the human slavery that we cringe at the thought of. Imagine being born just to be enslaved and otherwise tortured for life! That’s exactly the story of the billions of animals that we breed into existence every year. Had these victims been humans, we’d have called this an unprecedented genocide. And, this atrocity is being powered by ordinary people! Thankfully, most of us successfully overcame centuries of conditioning to shun human slavery. We need to continue to choose ethics over history and take the next leap in our ethical evolution by eradicating animal exploitation. Millions already have.

The question is NOT ‘Can they reason or talk?’. It is ‘Can they suffer?’.

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Renowned vegan personalities

Here are some interesting anecdotes/quotes from a few of the many eminent vegans. Tobey Maguire (‘Spiderman’), a staunch vegan, doesn’t allow anyone wearing animal skin (e.g., leather) in his house. He even sent back a Mercedes with leather seats. Another inspiration is former Citibank vice president Philip Wollen, for whom, being vegan is ”to be able to look in the mirror without feeling profoundly ashamed”. ‘Avatar’ director James Cameron’s initial motivation for going vegan was environmental conservation. He terms the avoidance of animal products as the “single biggest thing that an individual can do to combat climate change”. Germany’s strongest man, Patrik Baboumian, is vegan!
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Leather, wool and silk are NOT cruelty-free byproducts

Milk production is the most common source of leather. Since male calves have no use for a tabela/dairy, most of them are used for leather. They are often intentionally starved, so that can be skinned quickly. Indians are the worst offenders, as our indiscriminate dairy consumption has made us the largest exporter of cow leather! Leather makes up half of all profits of many slaughter houses. Thus, leather (and wool) buyers make meat much cheaper. Wool also causes many atrocities such as flesh stripping on sheep. A silk cloth leads to the exploitation and killing of tons of silk worms.
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The cruelty caused by consuming honey

Honey is nothing but bee-vomit. It is the bees’ buffer food. During a bee’s lifetime, she makes only about one teaspoon of honey!  To make just one pound, a bee colony flies over 55,000 miles! Humans ruin all that, destroy their homes (hives), and steal their critical food security. This process also injures and kills many bees. Bee keeping too causes enormous pain and death. The queen bee’s wings are often cut off to ground her. Scores of bees are kept in a small box, and many routinely get crushed to death.
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Does it harm employment? Not at all

A vegan world will not have fewer jobs. The reduced employment in the animal products industry will be compensated for by increased openings in the vegan products industry. Jobs decline when the demand diminishes. But, veganism doesn’t reduce the demand; it only changes the demand. And, history shows that the market is very adaptable. Besides, from tobacco to chemical weapons, there are many unethical things wherein people are employed, but, do we approve of such things? No, because there exist enough cruelty-free means of employment.
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“Agreed, but what about insects in the house?”

The idea is to try one’s sincere best to cause the least amount of cruelty necessary for survival. So, rather than hurting or killing insects, one can keep them at bay through cleanliness, nets and/or repellents. Besides, it’s one thing to inflict pain in self-defence or accidentally, and totally another to do so when it is avoidable.
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Vegan alternatives exist for almost everything!

Being vegan is easier than ever. Avoiding animal products does not mean giving up yummy food, comfortable clothing, enjoyable entertainment, etc. Sweets, cakes, chocolates, ice-creams, curd, paneer, cheese, pizza, tea/coffee – pretty much everything – can be enjoyed without anything animal-derived! Find all the alternatives, recipes, vegan products, eat-out options and tips on A complete practical guide to delightful vegan living.

Plant based milks made from cashews, almonds, coconut, soy, peanuts, rice, etc. can veganize any dish you love! Tofu (a healthier taste substitute for paneer), milk-free chocolates, vegan biscuits, soya milk, etc. are readily available in stores. Many cities also have options for vegan ice-creams and cakes. As for eating out, restaurants of every cuisine serve dishes that are devoid of dairy, eggs, meat & honey.

Like food, other choices can easily be cruelty-free too. There are ample options for non-leather furniture, footwear & accessories. Wool, silk, fur, pearls & honey can be easily substituted or avoided too. Shampoos, soaps, cosmetics and other lifestyle products involving no animal testing/ingredients are also readily available. To sum up, veganism involves no deprivation at all! The following will make your vegan life even smoother:

• A complete practical guide to delightful vegan living: Alternatives, Recipes, Vegan products, Eat-out options & Tips
• Exhaustive info on vegan lifestyle products: Wool/Leather/Silk Alternatives, Vegan Cosmetics/Hair & Skin-care products, etc.
• Facebook groups for information/help on veganism [Open not only for vegans, but anyone interested]: Vegans in India, Hyderabad Vegans

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“If you think it’s difficult for you to be vegan,
imagine how terribly difficult it is for the animals that you are not vegan!”