Bengaluru vegans celebrate Gandhi Jayanti with Satyagraha against animal exploitation

Bengaluru: To celebrate Gandhi Jayanti, animal rights activists in Bengaluru observed a Satyagraha, rekindling the principles of ahimsa. The activists marched from Brookefield to Sapper War Memorial, nearly 18 km, to bring attention to the abuse of trillions of animals and to promote the ethics of veganism.

The nationwide event, called Satyagraha 2.0, was observed in more than 10 cities and was a peaceful and educative demonstration against exploitation of animals for food, clothing, entertainment and experimentation.

In Bengaluru, this was the fourth year of the campaign and was organised jointly by the Bengaluru Brigade For Animal Liberation (BBAL) and Vegan India Movement (VIM).

This year, the organisers focused on two critical yet rarely discussed issues from the animals’ perspective — the White Revolution 2.0 and the Pink Revolution.

Nitin, a lead organiser of VIM, said, “the use of dairy is so normalised that we don’t even question it. We rarely take a moment to think about where milk comes from, who produces it, and whom it is meant for. These basic questions highlight the fundamental issue with dairy—that a cow’s milk is not ours to take. People forget that cows, just like us, are mothers who only produce milk for their offspring after giving birth. It is the birthright of a baby calf.” According to Nitin, embracing veganism could bring about a change in the mindsets of the people. But he said veganism is unfortunately misrepresented as a diet.

“But it is a social justice movement for animals which is driven by ethics,” he added.

Talking about the other common misconception that being vegan is difficult, Nitin said a plant-based diet is essentially a vegetarian diet minus dairy and honey which is the most affordable one and available all across India.

“For people transitioning to plant-based diets, I suggest that they opt for traditional meals that are vegan by default, or easily customizable just by exclusion of dairy items such as idli/dosa sambhar, North Karnataka meals, roti dal/sabzi, litti chokha, rice dishes, ragi mudde sambhar, chats without curd, thepla sabzi, etc,” he added.

Dilip, a lead organiser of BBAL, said “We look at certain animals through a clouded lens. Some are considered companions, whereas others who are equally sentient are considered food. This is a form of prejudice called speciesism, and that is what we are trying to highlight through our efforts. A cow or sheep or fish or rooster is capable of feeling the same pain or joy that a dog or cat can.” Another activist and a cyber security expert, Sunil said, there was is a deeply-ingrained misconception that cows and buffaloes produce milk all their lives.

“But female animals are kept in a constant state of pregnancy just to keep the cycle going and later sold to slaughterhouses at just 6-8 years of age. Male calves are abandoned or sold for slaughter shortly after birth. It is a vicious cycle, wherein one feeds the other.” Kushal, another lead organiser of BBAL, said, “Animal products are not a necessity for human health. We should remember the individual trapped in these industries, and that they are not products. They are living beings who have been denied their freedom for far too long.” The activists also conversed with dozens of passersby along the walk through prominent spots about animal rights issues as well as the consequences of everyday choices for non-human animals.

Activists were seen carrying placards bearing messages such as “Fasting in protest of the abuse of cows and buffaloes in the dairy industry” and “Fasting against the brutal killing of male chicks in the egg industry” to highlight the cruelty humans inflict on animals.