Around three years ago I started feeding community dogs in my locality. Each time I’d feed them I empathise with them and eventually end up loving them. Thereafter, I started to love all the animals, from cows, dogs to pigs. I would feed them, care for them and empathise with them. I could see the pain in their eyes. I could feel their pain when I saw them suffering.
When I was shown the reality of dairy, at first, I couldn’t believe it. I thought it doesn’t happen in India. I did my research and got to know about various animal exploitation industries in India. I then decided to go vegan because I didn’t want to be the reason for their immense suffering, trauma, and exploitation. It took me a few months to transition and now I'm a vegan and an animal liberation activist.
My family has always been very supportive of my vegan and activism journey. After going vegan, I’ve got to know so much about the animal rights movement, and other social justice movements. I’ve made some amazing activist friends who help me sort out things. Apart from these, I feel so helpless that I can’t save all non-human animals. I can’t stop people from hurting animals, thus I can only try.
I’ve been learning about anti-speciesism, effective activism, social change, and other important aspects of the AR movement. I’ve learned the importance of activism and why we should focus and invest our time in this. I’ve been doing offline activism since after two months I went vegan. I'm still learning effective ways of activism every day.
I document other animals’ suffering by witnessing them in butcher shops, live markets, dairy farms, pet shops, zoos, animal rides, and other unwanted uses. I’ve seen them in trauma and the torture that they have to go through. I tell people their stories by sharing them on my social media handles. I had also been a part of an online pressure campaign.
The problem is people are very disconnected from animals. All of us have been brainwashed by industries' advertisements. They don't show us the reality of what goes behind their end animal products. We are so bound by our culture to ignore the suffering of other sentient beings.
We all have been taught from childhood that animals are inferior to us. We can abuse them for our taste, pleasure, and greed. We should see beyond the culture and recognise their individuality, treat them with equal respect and dignity. Our habits, taste buds and convenience is nothing, compared to the pain and suffering other animals receive.
When it comes to the capacity to feel pain, fear, and love, we are all equal. We do not have to love animals to avoid abusing and killing them. Choose justice and equality, and be an anti-speciesist. And most importantly, be their allies.
Please get active for the animals. They are suffering and dying every day. They need us like never before. Use your privileges in ways that would help them, utilise the skills and knowledge you possess, and try to be effective in your actions. You do not have to master activism. Any action is better than no action, so keep trying it.
I've been learning about anti-speciesist language, animal-centric approach, effective activism, system change, and much more. I learned the importance of language that we use in our advocacy. It plays a huge role in the AR Movement. Because we all have been taught speciesist words and language by the society we live in and the system that normalises the exploitation of non-human animals.
I learned why we should always centre on the animals, not other factors while advocating for animal rights because they are the victims here. When we discuss health and the environment, we are not only objectifying animals but also letting people remain disconnected from animals. Eventually, they don't feel the plight of animals and keep coming up with other human-centric arguments. Yes, health and environmental factors are important but they are additional benefits. The root cause is speciesism and animal exploitation.
I learned why system change is equally important and should be emphasised as individual change and even more, because corporations, companies, industries, and governments continue to exploit animals to make money. They are the ones who operate the whole chain.
Hi, My name is Ajay Kiradiya. I'm an animal liberation activist from Indore and currently pursuing mass communication. I'm dedicated to animal rights activism.
I've been vegan for the last two years now.