One early morning in September 2015, I heard the sound of what I thought was a baby bird calling out to his/her mother. I awoke only to realise that my neighbours had rescued a kitten who was about to be attacked by dogs on the street. After much pleading, my mother allowed me to bring the kitten home. Until then, I'd never really interacted with animals that much. We ended up adopting her, and that changed everything!
I noticed that my kitten's behaviour was very similar to the behaviour of other animals. Street dogs and cows would fold their limbs the same way Mynx (my kitten) would, and when they were feeling sleepy, they looked a lot like Mynx did when she was tired. It then struck me that these animals are sentient, just like my cat.
Then, one day, I came across two graphic videos on Facebook - one of the poultry industry and the other of a cow being slaughtered. That was one of the saddest days that I have ever experienced. I looked into the eyes of the animals who were being killed, and I couldn't believe that I had participated in this madness for 19 years of my life. At the time, I didn't yet know the horrors of the dairy industry, but I was outspoken about animal rights. In January 2016, during my college fest, there was an animal rights stall. I was so excited to visit the booth because I wanted to talk to people who spoke out against animal abuse as vehemently as I did. When I went there, the activists there told me about the dairy industry, and at that point, I had had enough. I went vegan immediately, and I haven't looked back since.
Going vegan wasn't hard for me once I faced the truth behind animal agriculture and looked at everything from the animals' point of view. However, what was hard was that otherwise caring and intelligent people couldn't understand veganism and weren't ready to go vegan. Seeing the people you love and respect participating in the massacre was the most difficult part. Additionally, living in a non-vegan world where we're reminded every second that animals have been reduced to commodities is painful. However, I focus on channelling the anger and frustration into my activism, which has helped a lot.
Additionally, connecting with other activists really helps! Community building is essential to ensure sustained activism, so reach out to vegans in your city and work together to accelerate animal liberation. Also, hang out after activism events so that the team gets closer because this really boosts morale. 😄
My message to non-vegans is the following: I'd ask them if they agree that animals should not be put through unnecessary suffering. I'm sure they'd say yes. I would then explain that even though we've been conditioned to believe that we need to eat animals and animal products for health and survival, it simply isn't true since we can get all our nutrients from plants. I'd urge them to watch Food Choices 2016 to understand that notion in more detail. I'd explain that since we can get our nutrients from plants, it logically follows that killing animals for food or consuming other animal products classifies them as putting them through unnecessary suffering, which they are against.
It's simply a matter of cognitive dissonance, which we've all experienced since we grew up in a society that made us see animals as commodities. Finally, I would advise them to watch 'The Best Speech You Will Ever Hear by Gary Yourofsky and visit slaughterhouses, dairy farms, and hatcheries. I'd also explain to them that one doesn't have to be an animal lover to be vegan and that veganism is a matter of justice and not kindness. Once our conviction is solid through the above methods, then figuring out how to go vegan becomes easy! Also, there is a huge vegan community in India. People can always feel free to reach out to me for any support they require. 😄
In 2018, I co-founded the 'Vegan India Movement' and 'Bengaluru Brigade for Animal Liberation' as I firmly believe that animals are sentient beings who deserve justice. We undertake various initiatives through these two organizations.
We highlight the plight of animals used for food, clothing, entertainment, experimentation, etc., in the animal agriculture industry. We aim to change the way people perceive animals - we try to get them to see animals as sentient beings instead of commodities. We do this through various education-based forms of activism: street activism, college lectures, screenings, music-based activism, wall paintings etc. In the wake of the pandemic, we are also doing Tweetathons and activism on Clubhouse.
As a part of the 'Vegan India Movement', we conduct a weekly webinar titled 'Let's Learn Activism', where people who have experience in different areas of activism share their knowledge to get better at activism. We also have Activist Meets, where activists from across the country can connect and share their ideas.
Finally, I'd like to say that the first step is going vegan. The second and more important step is to be active for the animals. The only reason any of us are vegan today is because activists decided to speak up for the animals. There are many ways to be active - join your city's Living Free group and engage in street activism, know your facts through continuous research and give college lectures.
If you're not confident at giving lectures yet, organise them for an activist in your city. Start a blog, website or YouTube channel, and use your talent/skills in art/design/visual communication, etc., to further the goal of the animal rights movement. You may be scared, under-confident and feel super awkward, but no matter how feeble your voice may be initially, do it! You will gain more confidence in time. The animals are counting on us!
To join us in Bangalore, DM us at @goveganwithbbal
To join grassroots activism at the national level, DM us at @veganindiamovement
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Hello, I’m Richa Annie Thomas, a vegan for more than 5 years. In 2018, I co-founded ‘Vegan India Movement’ and ‘Bengaluru Brigade for Animal Liberation’ as I firmly believe that animals are sentient beings who deserve justice. I train in mixed martial arts and I'm learning German as I love the language. I'm a huge Anime fan and also quite a nerd.