I stopped eating meat at the age of four when I witnessed the slaughter of a chicken at my friend's house. I used to love chicken meat. But after that incident, I was horrified even at the thought of eating other animals. I had even stopped consuming cow milk for a brief period because I felt it was wrong to drink the milk of another animal. But, due to social conditioning and in the name of nutrition, I was forced to eat eggs and milk.
I first read about veganism in 2015 after I googled 'does vegetarian diet make you fat?'. My friends made fun of my size and blamed it on the vegetarian diet. They gave examples like tigers are so muscular and fast but elephants are fat and slow. I was surprised to know that there were people who didn't consume any animal products and were healthy, fit, and lean. I was not aware of the ethical reasons at that point.
In 2018, I saw Instagram posts showing the horrors of factory farming. That got me interested in Veganism. I started researching online which led me to the YouTube documentary 'Unholy Cattle of India'. I then decided to cut out all animal-based food which took me a while. I finally did it in 2019, but I was silent about it.
It was hard at first to give up dairy products and my mother was worried that I wouldn't get proper nutrition by cutting out dairy and eggs. I had to get active in the kitchen and make my plant milk since my mother was reluctant to give up on milk and ghee. Sometimes I had to cook for myself. Some of my friends and family have criticised and questioned me for cutting all animal products. But my motivation has always been the animals. The journey has been fantastic. The only regret I have is that I didn't do it sooner. I have become more aware of my choices and now know that I don't pay animals to suffer in my name.
In 2020, I started working for an agri-based company where I had to design machines for farmers. I had to frequently visit poultry and dairy farmers to get their reviews. There I witnessed firsthand how the animals were bred. They were considered as mere products rather than seeing them as living conscious beings.
These are the incidents that made me go Vegan and further strengthened my stand against animal exploitation. I also observed that the number of meat stalls near my house was also increasing. I was so fed up with all the mistreatment of animals that in 2021 I created a Facebook and Instagram Account called 'Vegans of Mysuru' in the hope of meeting other fellow vegans in my city.
In November 2021, we did our first vegan outreach with the help of BBAL and Vegan India Movement. Now we are a team of 18, conducting outreaches frequently in Mysuru. During one of our outreaches, we met Dr. Khader Vali a.k.a Millet Man of India who was excited about what we were doing and offered to provide any support. He does not use or consume any animal products and educates people on the harmful impacts of animal products, rice, and wheat on the health of the planet.
Right from childhood, we are taught that meat, milk, and eggs are good foods and are essential for us. That some animals can be pets and some others can be eaten. Wake up! Remove the blindfolds and see them for who they are, not as products but as beings who deserve to live freely just like you and me. Given the state of the world we are living in today, it becomes our responsibility to make better choices. To live a life that is kind towards other species and the planet.
Hi, I'm Anurag. I'm from Mysuru. I'm a Product Engineer working for an Agri based company.
I'm also a freelance graphic artist. I like to play guitar and computer games in my free time. Nowadays, I create online content for the Vegans of Mysuru Instagram page.