World Vegan Month is well and truly underway across the globe this year — and surprise, surprise — India’s small, yet burgeoning community of vegans and supporters for the cause is going all out to ensure that word catches on. Celebrated annually, in November, since its inception by The Vegan Society (UK) in 1944, the occasion seeks to provide a moral boost and sense of purpose for existing followers, as well as encourage those who are curious to take a pledge for 30 days — to go vegan and check out if they like it!
Veganism — More than just the diet!
Over the years, veganism in our country has grown from being a taboo to a lifestyle choice that’s respected — sometimes even considered modern or political by the Gen Y — thanks to several well-known celebrities, chefs, youth icons, and more, striving to create awareness about this philosophy through word-of-mouth, extensive activism, and of course, social media. One misconception that exists largely in India though, is that turning vegan is purely a dietary choice — i.e., refraining from eating meat, dairy, eggs and other animal-derived food.
While this does hold true to a certain extent, the classical definition of a true-blue vegan also matches certain ethical standards — such as also opposing the use of any animal products in day-to-day life, e.g., clothing, beauty products, accessories, etc. Further, considering the progressive millennial youth’s dedication to be cruelty-free, not to mention the many additional health benefits that come with taking up the lifestyle change, it does look like veganism in India is here to stay!
Ideology on the plate
“True veganism is embracing the whole philosophy of nonviolence, compassion, equality and believing that all beings on the planet are equal — a chicken or an elephant has as much right to live freely as a human,” says Nandini Gulati, health coach and author of The Guilt-free Vegan Cookbook. Many filmstars like Sonam Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Adah Sharma, etc., also have switched to the ideology — and some, like the latter, say that it’s helped revitalise their energy levels. “I have been a vegetarian all my life. I turned vegan around seven months ago. My mum and I watched a very disturbing video on how a calf wasn’t getting milk from its mother — it was nothing short of a horror movie. All animals drink milk from their mothers alone, and no animal goes out to another species for milk. For my system, I feel I have other ways to source my protein and calcium needs. There are so many substitutes and alternatives that practicing vegan lifestyle isn’t difficult.”
Being vegan extends to one’s lifestyle, and includes shunning leather. “When I go out for dinner, I’m not always sure if the bread is made of unprocessed flours. But at home, we consume organic food, and eat it on the day it’s cooked — there’s no storing involved,” Adah reiterates. And no, she has zero regrets. “After turning vegan, one doesn’t really have to give up anything. There are so many substitutes. You can opt for soy milk, almond milk and coconut milk and they can also be turned into curd. For protein, there’s nuts and legumes, chana, rajma and chickpeas. After turning vegan, I feel my skin has become a lot healthier and clearer, my whole system feels a lot cleaner — I feel like I have more energy in me.”
Pets were invited at the all-vegan wedding ceremony of Mumbai-based couple Shasvathi Siva and Karthik Krishnan
Fad & philosophy
Nandini Gulati feels there’s nothing wrong in the trend picking up in the country as a fad. “Anything that becomes fashionable also grows and it would still help the movement. But will everyone stick to it after the fad is over? Some people will not, but the ones who have understood the real meaning of the movement will not abandon it. Food is a huge part of veganism — the understanding of food, even for vegans, is quite limited. Food is something we put into our mouths three times a day, and it has a huge impact on the planet in the way that it is sourced, procured and brought to us. So, even vegans sometimes don’t understand the larger implications of having a compassionate, cruelty-free diet.”
She adds, “For example, there are vegans who subscribe to a vegan lifestyle, but eat processed food, which does not have any animal inputs. But processed food itself can be so damaging to the environment and forests and therefore animals. Palm oil, for example, is something a lot of vegans think they can consume, but they don’t understand that palm oil plantations are destroying wildlife habitats. One can have a holistic view of the philosophy. With the world having many problems today, veganism is one solution to the problems — it is a very big part.”
Green weddings
It’s not just people in the limelight creating awareness about the trend, but also youngsters who are using their special wedding day as an example to show the world how amazing being vegan can be! Mumbai-based couple Shasvathi Siva and Karthik Krishnan went viral with their animal-friendly, all-vegan marriage that completely did away with any dairy, silk, plastic, leather, flowers or energy wastage. Even the make-up used fell within the standards! “All the guests received bags with vegan products, the mehndi was organic, old newspapers replaced napkins and even the spoons were edible. Furthermore, all the pets were invited and played a huge role in the ceremony,” says Shasvathi, who’s training to be a plant-based chef.
Eco-conscious Chennaiites Monica Pandian and Praveen Raj tied the knot on World Environment Day, June 5, this year. “With the rising global temperature, and increasing landfills in the city, and with almost all natural habitats being polluted and destroyed — we have a choice to change and provide a better planet for our future generations or be affected and kill their homes too. We chose to be minimal with our carbon footprints and be sustainable wherever possible. Using fuel-powered vehicles is kind of a necessity but having lavish, tonnes of waste-generating, landfill-creating weddings are not,” explains Monica, an entrepreneur running a venture for earth-friendly alternatives and services.
The ceremony had speeches and messages about environmental issues, conservation of ecosystems, animal welfare and screenings of short environmental documentaries and videos. Apart from the food, clothes and decor being vegan-friendly, the couple ensured even the music was! How? “Usually, Hindu weddings have nadaswaram and tavil that are made of animal skins. There were no alternatives before. But now, we have musicians playing the SRI Mridangam that is not made of animal skin. The synthetic fibreglass shell mridangam is designed by vocalist and scientist Dr K. Varadarangan of Karunya Musicals in Bengaluru. This is very important and something that made the wedding completely cruelty-free and vegan!” she grins.
Vegan activism
Just like any other movement, vegan activism can tick people off the wrong way if pushed too far — one doesn’t have to search too far online to find the vitriol between vegan advocates and those who swear by meat. In real-time too, initiatives that may perhaps take it a tad too far (such as pasting pro-vegan stickers in the dairy and meat section at departmental stores, and rallies that display posters openly abusing non-vegetarians) have diluted the cause’s real fight — and instead led focus to the battle between both the camps instead.
But those like activist Susmitha Subbaraju of vegan restaurant Carrots in Bengaluru feel that is but natural — “This is common in social justice causes, be it fighting for casteism, or the LGBTQ community, or speciesism in this case (treating one species different from another). There are so many cases of people turning vegan overnight, after just lending an open ear or eye to witness what we have to present. But by and large, vegan activism is very subtle — living by example, small outreach programs within the neighbourhood, and so on... we distributed leaflets and vegan cookies on World Vegan Day (November 1) and many felt they were tastier than biscuits they’d had earlier! We also have a vegan potluck at the park ever so often, where everyone is invited to hang out in a casual, relaxed atmosphere and any questions are answered. Occasions like World Vegan Month should be welcomed heartily every month, as that is how curiosity is piqued.”
Ancient wisdom
Chef Virgil James of Chennai, who heads the kitchen at VeganeR restaurant, one of the few extensively vegan restaurants in the country, agrees with her. “Veganism has always existed in philosophy in south India for ages now — it saw the use of millets as a source of protein. The current form of veganism, I believe, is just a re-entry of the philosophy, extending itself to dairy and avoiding animal cruelty through our food choices. Vegan food is packed with energy, and can be highly balanced when made right. The concept is very slowly picking up, because there is a whole philosophy around it.” The great Vegan Challenge happens every November. But being vegan may soon become a way of life, and it may well be vegan time all through the year. So, are you ready for the challenge?
