The Vegan Movement: Concern or Fashion?

Today, as we try to avoid non-veg dishes due to the ongoing COVID-19 scare, the tummy of a hardcore foodie like myself, yearns for that smoky roast as my nose recalls that all too familiar smell of spices emanating from chicken curry. But having survived on a strictly vegetarian diet for almost an entire month now, I began thinking that may be being a vegan couldn't be all that bad, could it? For that matter my family is rich in diet variety as it not only has vegetarians and non-vegetarians but eggetarians too somewhere in between. But what's with all the animal rights activism stuff going around these days?? Let's get to the heart of the matter...

Advocates of abolition of non-veg food argue that it is cruel for animals to be killed for consumption. But the same forms the basis of the natural food chain... Would the activists stop lions from killing buffaloes too? Yes, one can argue that wild carnivores don't have an option of going vegan as their digestive tracts are designed to process only meat. Humans like many species of apes on the other hand, are omnivores and can make do without meat. But does that mean we can get all the proteins and nutrients needed to make us strong and fit from plants alone? Although legumes, nuts and grains have varying amounts of protein, they do not contain all the essential amino acids that animal proteins do. Similarly, many studies have highlighted the various downsides of being a strict vegan, including choline crisis which affects brain health, and increased hair loss due to difficulty in absorbing iron from a pure vegetarian diet. So, no... Humans don't have the option to eliminate meat completely from their diet if they want to lead a well-rounded healthy lifestyle.

But all the science apart, in my opinion killing an animal for food, especially when it is specifically poultry bred for consumption, is not at all cruel, but the natural order of things. Everyone and everything has an expiry date and eventual death, whether natural or accidental, is more often than not, a less than pleasant experience. We only wish that no one or nothing goes before their time is due, and in case of poultry animals that time comes when we show up at the meat shop. Another scenario where killing of animals becomes necessary is on account of self-defense when we may be attacked once in a while, or run the risk of infection due to an infestation.

But that said, I do condemn hunting or injuring of animals for sport, like that in bull-fighting, still prevalent in many parts of the world including countries like Spain, Portugal, France and others, which forms the basis of the 2017 flick 'Ferdinand'. Same is the case with skinning of live snakes in the US and shooting of birds for fun in many regions of the globe. Causing unnecessary pain to anything or anyone is surely uncalled for and can form a valid point for protests. Keeping that in mind, I guess it is up to the audience to decide whether the modern day vegan movement is a genuine point for concern or a fashion statement for a certain section of society.

Religion

This is one issue regarding which I've always held a strong opinion, but never got around to fully penning it down, as I thought it to be very personal to each individual indeed. But with increasing extremism and indulgence in untenable practices across the globe, I think the time has come to finally speak up, though only as a one-off... Well, firstly I'd like to clear the air that till date I have not found the praxis of any religion totally acceptable or unacceptable, neither have I gone through the Bhagvat Gita or the Quoran or the Bible or the Guru-Granth-Sahib or any of the other holy scriptures completely, nor do I find it compulsorily necessary to study them fully, leave alone blindly abide by these private works by historically influential albeit supposedly knowledgeable individuals. And the extent to which I have read some of these doctrines, has strictly been to filter out some of the contained information I found useful, purely for the sake of self-development, as knowlegde never ceases to expand. 

Over the years, I have been audience to philosophical lectures, by countless spiritual leaders and self-proclaimed albeit publically recognized gurus of varied religions, some of which I have found agreeable and many of which I haven't. In today's day and age wherein social media religious debates are commonplace, with singletons staunchly siding with different well-known religions, I find that most of them are cut out of the same cloth irrespective of their religious beliefs, in the sense that a very simple patronizing defense is established for many of the irrational proclamations made: "It is beyond you to understand, as you've not reached the level I have, after years of meditation!" Well... In that case I have to say that your meditation went fruitless, if it didn't show you a way to put forth your so-called enlightenment in a human language for others to comprehend.

Just for example, let me refer to a certain statement I heard on a recent television interview of one of these mystics, who said that: "It would be better if women did not enter Shani Temples, as planetary forces might have a negative effect on them." The first thing that came to my mind was: "Ooohhh! Natural forces have gender bias too?! Wow..." But jokes apart, I thought I'd give it a sit down... Although men and women are anatomically different, scientifically any such known force would be too weak to cause any effect on us from that far away, irrespective of our gender. So, may be the great yogis have discovered a new unknown force, other than the mainstream gravitational, electromangenetic, nuclear and such forces, which can traverse lightyears to have a significant impact on human beings. If so, why are we not able to detect or measure it? And if they are undetectable by regular folks like Albert Einstein, then why so?... Damn! That Nobel Prize is alluding all the revered fakirs of this world just by a hair... Oh, sorry! Pretty sure they've ascended that too... But remember, afterall a good teacher is one who can illuminate the dumbest of minds, and not the brightest.

Up a similar alley are palm-reading, astrology, numerology and other such gimics, which I'd dare say if I didn't respect certain people's sentiments, are the biggest scam in the modern era, borne out of fear and superstition of the common man. And lets please not have much in store for the justification sought by these ascetics in their massive followership, which is just another way out of a sticky situation for them, as we well know it doesn't take much to sway the majority fickle-minded lot amongst us. Just have a believable background story, know some basic yoga, and bravo! You are all set for a booming business... And if all goes well you might even expand into the herbal products industry and much more... Another comment I heard from one of these sages rudely answering to a rebuttle in a seminar was: "Don't try to act smart... Many of my followers are much more educated than you." Honestly, I didn't know religion was exclusive and that it required a Ph.D. May be I should have got one instead of wasting my time on a dual degree in engineering, from the Indian Institute of Technology.

Lastly, let me put it out clearly that I do not believe in spitting out baseless generalizations. But... If I said a random word like 'terrorism' out of any specific context, does any particular religion strike you out of the blue? If not, well and good. But if yes, I guess that's upon the religion's practitioners for having earned such a despicable repute! Finally, as far as I'm concerned there should be at least a remotely practical rationale behind even the most absurd of beliefs preached by any religion. If not, then the ideology should at least be harmless to its practitioners and non-practitioners alike, as otherwise it would be an unfortunate crime against humanity. Just for instance, today groups of different faiths are hitting the news channels all over India for religious gatherings defying the laws of social distancing, implemented by the Indian Goverment to combat the growing COVID-19 global pandemic. Have those involved taken leave of their senses or is it a deliberate atrocity? These are just some answers we may never have...

Preview of Things to Come...

Welcome to the ninth day of the twenty-one day countrywide lockdown announced by the Hon'able PM of India, to contain the spread of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic here in our nation. As it turns out, the single-day 'Janta' curfew I had talked about in my last article, was just to give a taste of the events to unfold in coming times. And surely enough with the global body-count piling up in leaps and bounds on a daily basis, the grim reality of the worldwide situation is here at hand. As of this moment, the deadly novel Coronavirus has spread to over two hundred countries and territories, claiming over fifty thousand lives globally, with the number of infected about to reach a million, that too only considering the officially released stats. But if the residents of Wuhan, the Chinese town from where the virus orginally emerged, are to be believed, the figures released by China itself account for less than a tenth of the actual Chinese death toll. So the circumstances might be even worse than what they already appear to be!

Just to give you an idea of the gravity of our present plight, this is the first time in history since World War-II that the Summer Olympic games, to be held in Japan later this year, have been officially postponed. Along with the cancellation or postponement of other prominent sporting, religious and cultural events and science and technology conferences around the world, including the likes of Wimbledon, the IIFA Awards, TED, and many others, schools and universities too have been shut down in over a hundred and fifty nations. With my firm implementing the work-from-home philosophy on alternate days for a day or two, and then following up with the same for all days until further notice, despite a majority of our job definition involving field work, the seriousness of the matter just got real. 

But even in the face of a crisis of this magnitude, not all is bleak and gloomy. On a lighter note, this real life apocalypse does have a lot in common with numerous eerie horror film plots, especially one particular 2011 flick I watched some time back - 'Contagion', to which it bears an uncanny resemblance! The rate at which mankind is falling prey to this mighty virus might as well lead to a new world order for the lucky surviving few... Who knows? As the virus runs rampant through entire neighbourhoods, dropping people like flies, a part of you is forced to think of what will be left of this world as you know it, while the other part contemplates the effect all of this will have on you, if you are left standing that is.

As for me, after helping take all necessary measures to protect family and self, along with surrounding folks to the extent possible, all I am left to think of is the unlikelihood of such a disruption actually happening to someone in their lifetime. Although my generation has already been witness to a lot of change in the way people live, including the advent of modern mobile phones, LCD & LED TVs and access of the common man to commercial aviation amongst a lot else, the present situation is truly something to behold. All the negativity aside, if the spread of the virus is successfully controlled and everything goes back to normalcy, then I dare say that these three weeks will probably have been a miniature version of retired life for most professionals who struggle day in and day out trying to contribute to society and make a living, who have to beg even for a single day's leave, and who can hardly ever imagine a phase as mentally and physically freeing as this. And while boredum is setting in for some folks, I have a sorted outlook. 

Anyone's life nowadays can be broadly divided into three phases of approximately equal durations, like that of a full course meal comprising of starters, main course and desert. The first phase refers to the period till about 30 years of age, in which one needs to get educated and take the first steps towards a career after figuring out the path he or she needs to tread, to help society advance professionally and personally, at the same time earning the means to a good livelihood and gradually settling down with one's family. The second phase extends from about age 30 to age 60, in which one has to execute the plans he or she has made in their first phase. And as you might well have guessed, the third phase of life refers to the stage beyond the ripe age of 60, which is like a bonus over, where one is hopefully content on having achieved almost everything one had planned for, and he or she is free to put on their thinking cap for something creative or catching up to some unfinished business or hobby which was previously left unpursued due to lack of time. 

So, for me this lockdown, which is akin to the summer breaks we used to have in our childhood back in the day, has been a preview to the aforementioned third phase, excluding of course the severe restrictions imposed on one's mobility, where I've invested my time in picking up some new skills like single-handedly preparing my first ever hot cooked dish in the form of chilli bread, albeit drawing a bit on the experience of my wifey's cooking expertise. And, while I'm currently about to cross over from the first phase of my life to the second, I hope I'm on the right track, being grateful to Indian Oil for providing a platform to put my competence to use, to aid in our industry's progress, while also trying to contribute on the personal front, through various means including this online journal as well as my other blog 'The Ultimate Comparo' (http://comparoindia.blogspot.com/) covering varied categories of articles from time to time, which different people may find useful.

But all else aside, I sincerely wish that the world is able to fight off the grip of the COVID-19 epidemic sooner than later, and all of us can get back on our respective tracks... 

ALL THE BEST!!!

Adding to my skill repertoire...