Being someone in the locality who helps ailing dogs, I receive calls from multiple people. In 2017, one such call led me to an ailing calf. Unfortunately, I was late to arrive there. I kept thinking about this unusual incident because I had hardly seen a calf lying on the road. After a few days, I witnessed the most horrible incident of a cow crying and chasing a rickshaw. I could not figure out the reason. I was at a nearby shop when I saw that. Then I saw the rickshaw where that cow's calf was tied to the place where we generally keep our feet. Baffled at such an incident happening in broad daylight nearby a police station, I was left with many questions. Later, I found out that such is the procedure in many dairy farms. As a person who feels for animals, the agony of the mother cow kept bothering me. That is how I became vegan overnight.
I had heard about veganism in 2015, while participating in a march organised to protest against the use of glass-coated manja used for flying kites on a specific festival. I had used the same excuses a non-vegans give until 2017, when I decided to go vegan after the above incident.
Being born as a human is in itself a privilege. The power to reason and choose is what differentiates us from the rest of the species on the planet. As humans, we have come a long way, creating artificial intelligence to discover ways to combat deadly diseases. Having such powers necessitates helping those who cannot help themselves and animals are the most underprivileged of all. They depend on us for everything but unfortunately, we take everything from them. We often ask for justice for ourselves while being so horribly unjust to those species who have no evil intentions, no voice, and no choice. Instead of being saviors we torture and kill them.
Coming to activism, outreach doesn't always have to be planned. A vegan for whom the cause matters will take every opportunity to make others aware. However, in the past few years, awareness through street outreach and social media has made people aware of veganism to a greater extent. Making people feel what we felt while changing into a vegan requires them to be in the same position as we were. Engaging in constant dialogues, helping people by showing alternatives not just in the food sector but all such sectors which exploit animals, helps people understand the urgency of the cause without being hesitant. The factual discussion has a better impact than becoming emotional while speaking.
In my case, I have always tried to understand the thought process of the person I'm speaking to instead of just stating what I feel is right. Since the aim is to make people capable of establishing a connection with all animals, it is important to give primacy to how a person thinks over what I think, whether or not it's correct. And then gradually show facts and carry on with the debate. I believe the aim isn't to convert people into vegans but to make them feel for all animals equally. Then veganism becomes the most obvious outcome.
To anyone reading this, ask questions to yourself instead of asking vegans. Try to find the answers to those questions yourself without depending on vegans. Vegans can be flawed but the reason behind the cause isn't flawed. It only aims at saving lives.
Going vegan helped me in many other ways as well:
It revealed people around me.
It helped me recognise injustices beyond the cause and understand the importance of every individual human on this planet.
I understood the importance of unlearning as much as learning.
It helped me to know myself better. Being an introvert, outreaches seemed impossible. But when something matters, no barrier is a barrier.
Hello everyone, I’m Ahana Dasgupta from Kolkata. I have been an animal lover for a long time. I have been involved in rescuing and helping street animals which further lead to veganism later on. I enjoy learning and gathering knowledge. I'm aspiring for various jobs and hence preparing for them. I'm a vegan since 2017.
