The Vegan Journey of Anusha Unni | Vegan Beings India #070

I was a non-vegetarian. I was an animal lover.

I used to feel bad about animals enslaved in circuses, zoos, rides, aquariums, birdcages, etc. I used to feel sad when any street dog or bird was mistreated and used to help as much as possible.

I used to avoid eating mutton because I love goats, and whenever I see mutton, I used to think of that baby white goat.

I used to admire animals and birds, and how they are such nice species and bad about how humans are making their lives hard. I have cats and kittens and used to have multiple pets.

BUT I used to love eating chicken, fish, egg, and all dairy products. I didn't know the complete truth. Although I love animals, I was conditioned to think of chicken and egg as food.

I used to not go to chicken shops because I felt sad seeing the hens' cages. But I still thought these were just food and hens were born for us to eat.

Once, when I was reading a book, I saw a quote "Consider your body as a temple, not as a graveyard." i.e. when it struck me that chicken and fish were dead bodies. I immediately stopped consuming. I was still not aware of the cruelty in the food industry.

Slowly, my younger brother (then 18) followed me and stopped consuming meat.

On one fine day, my brother, since he is also an animal lover, started going to dog rescues. And he met a vegan activist Ravi Keerthi from Vijayawada, and he got to know about veganism, came home, and told him his decision that he is going to be vegan.

I remember arguing with him and Ravi Keerthi, that veganism is just another cult, and asked multiple questions, not being ready to agree with the truth.

Two months down the line, I wanted to know if there was any truth. So on August 15, which was a holiday for me, I decided to research veganism and the truths behind egg and diary. I was shocked and was in tears. I didn't know so much was happening around. And even I was responsible for all the cruelty for all these years.

That day I became vegan. That Independence day is the day I became free of all the sins.

My family is fully supportive. My brother and I are vegans. I married a vegan, and we had vegan weddings.

 I started learning about a product before buying if it is cruelty-free or vegan. I started understanding the ingredients list in food products, and extended this to other utilities like makeup and clothing. I started choosing vegan products.

The major takeaway was that I can live without that favourite dish of mine or favourite skincare product which is non-vegan. I can't be in control of those products. But I have a choice. Whether to pay for cruelty or cruelty-free, I decided to always choose the latter. Over time, I came to know more about other broader concepts like sustainable living and ethical consumption.

And yes, I managed to pull off a vegan and eco-friendly engagement, marriage, and reception!💚🥳

These were small changes we made, which surely had a large impact.

1) We didn't use any banners to welcome our guests, instead used reusable boards and paper and cloth. A marriage banner was painted on cloth, by myself with the help of my family.

2) We never compromised on the taste of our lunch, which was purely vegan. We made raita and curd rice with peanut curd.

3) We chose vegan sweets like laddoo and jalebi (made from Vanaspati ghee) which are easily available in the market. We didn't include ghee in any of them.

4) We ordered a vegan cake, and whoever thought vegans don't have fun, they are wrong!!

5) We chose the hotel that provides fibre glasses and cutlery which are reusable rather than using one-time plastics.

6) We got beautiful synthetic sarees and dresses, rather than silk.

To anyone reading this:

Just be mindful of your actions. If an innocent victim is paying for your actions, then you have a choice to either continue or take the right path. Take a minute to be mindful of what you eat, wear and use.

We are all conditioned (culturally) and brought up as non-vegan, but that doesn't mean we continue to be so. And we all need change, a world with prosperity and peace, but are our actions in line with that?

The vegan world is not difficult. Are you ready to change? Because we are ready to welcome you.

Be the change.

Choose compassion.

____

Leading vegan life is normal for me now. I don't do anything extra for it. I know exactly what to avoid. I say no, if someone offers anything non-vegan. Being vegan is not expensive. I don't use those exotic things like cashew cheese, maple syrup, or soya milk daily.

I prefer black tea or lemon tea and occasionally have soya milk coffee. I don't have a compulsion to have curd in every meal. Sometimes, I make peanut curd. Ghee isn't mandatory for me anymore. I use coconut oil when needed.

I love icecreams, but I don't feel bad when I cannot eat them now. Because I know it costs an animal's life. Instead, I enjoy vegan ice creams. I go for fruit juices instead of milkshakes.

I don't choose expensive silk sarees, wool, or leather, rather go for synthetic. I celebrate birthdays with vegan cakes. I veganise all dishes or discard any dish which cannot be vegan at festivals. I never felt bad for it. My skincare, haircare, and makeup are vegan.

Life may not be completely the same as before, but I am sure, turning vegan could be the best decision ever.

Vegan is pure love. Love for animals, earth, and yourself.

I am guilt free, my body and soul are light. My carbon footprint is low. I know I am not supporting animal cruelty in any of my daily activities, and am one less person hurting the animals.

I try my best to spread this word and am always vocal about how easy it is to go vegan and why one should go vegan.

 

Hello everyone! I am Anusha Unni, a cloud developer by profession. I love my job because it's creative and I love providing solutions. Not just that, it also pays my bills, pays for my travelling, and gives me financial freedom.

I am vocal about gender equality, caste or colour discrimination, ethical consumption, saving water, reducing plastic usage, and being minimalistic.

I love learning. I am always into learning something which is why I have so many hobbies, 

I am a jack of all trades, but master of none. So I am into art, gardening, solving Rubix cube puzzles, cooking, Instagramming, dancing, and travelling.

And after being a vegan, I am into vegan activism and outreaches.

 

Read More

The Vegan Journey of Bhairavi Giridharan | Vegan Beings India #067

I was introduced to veganism as a concept early on in life by a cousin. At that time, I thought that animals were only treated cruelly abroad, as most of the short documentaries I was able to watch back then were not based on the Indian context. Moreover, dairy consumption is deeply ingrained in every culture in India, so I assumed the animals would be treated well here. However, I was horrified when I learned that the same treatment, if not worse, is meted out to cattle in India as well. That minute, I decided to take the plunge into veganism.

Another major factor led me to believe that veganism is 100% logical. Any mammal lactates only for a fixed period after childbirth. And how could dairy cows be producing milk non-stop? It sickened me to even think about what could be happening. Moreover, I wasn't very comfortable with the idea of a mother's milk going to any other baby than her own, let alone another species. And let's not mention the fact that adults who can consume solid food, do not need to depend on milk for nourishment.

The ultimate push was just because I was at a very low point in my life. I decided that if I could make a difference in another's life, if not my own, then why not? Ever since, I've been vegan. It's been over two and a half year now! ( since Oct 2nd,2019 ;) )

My initial days of going vegan were difficult. Being a huge ice cream lover, it wasn't easy for me to give it up. Given that I was living in a hostel in a hot place like Mangalore, curd and buttermilk were everyday essentials before I went vegan. Learning to cool my body after I went vegan took a while but I'm glad I did it. 

Stay hydrated! I cannot stress this enough. Trust me, it solved most of my non-vegan cravings with regards to curd and buttermilk.

I was a total junk-food vegan at the start. It was unintentional, but when I realised it later, I immediately took steps to change that. I would recommend trying to keep your diet under a watch. Don't eat anything and everything that's vegan. Make sure your meals are balanced until you can get comfortable with them.

Once I shifted back to a more wholesome diet, I realised why people swear by veganism for health reasons.

Also, soon after I went vegan, I found myself constantly having to read labels to check whether certain packaged foods were vegan. There are ready guides for this online and lists curated with off-the-shelf products that are vegan by default, but I always preferred to double-check. Dairy does make its way into the most unsuspecting dishes like chips (milk powder in seasonings) and some seemingly vegan Indian sides (due to the addition of curd/butter).

But once I got used to it, it became second nature for me to check the ingredients before consumption.

To anyone reading this, try going vegan for 30 days! And who knows, you may like it. Maybe because of the variety of new flavours and ingredients you are introduced to, maybe because of the health benefits you noticed, or maybe just because you realise how pocket-friendly it is!

I would like to share a message for transitioning vegans: It's a myth that veganism is expensive. If you're always looking for meat and dairy alternatives, of course, it might be a bit expensive. However, if you learn to cook wholesome meals with whole foods, it's cheaper, healthier, and heartier!

Also, it's easier if you learn how to cook. I'm thankful for my transition to veganism, not just because it did good for my health and the animals, but also because that was the only reason I learned how to cook. And it definitely made me an extremely creative cook. It’s true when they say, constraints promote creativity!

Hello everyone! I’m Bhairavi, an engineer by qualification and profession, but all things creative is what fuels me daily. I'm a Veena enthusiast, undertaking formal training. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking for my family and friends, drawing, and painting. I'm always curious to learn anything new.

Read More

The Vegan Journey of Vaibhavi Lonkar | Vegan Beings India #063

I have had cats since my birth. So, it was easy for me to connect with other animals. I always rejected when I was offered meat. I knew that meat is nothing but a dead animal who wanted to live. But unfortunately, I didn't know about dairy. I turned vegan overnight. The moment I got to know what happens inside the dairy industry, I decided. I was a heavy dairy and dairy products consumer, but trust me, going vegan was easy for me. I wake up every morning with a smile because I know that I am living my life without harming any sentient being.

I believe that we can easily live without harming any sentient being. Moreover, there are vegan alternatives for animal products out there. Then why choose cruelty? Are our taste buds more important than the life of an animal? Is it okay to artificially inseminate a cow, take her baby away and consume her milk? All this for 2 minutes of pleasure on our tongue? Animals have a right to live as much as we have. They're individuals, just like us.

Before the pandemic, I used to participate in vegan activism events but I wasn't able to do that during the lockdown. I learned how to cook during the lockdown. This combination made me start my blog, Vguide. It has blog posts related to recipes, activism, vegan food reviews, and general veganism. Here’s the link to Vguide. Also, I was a national coordinator for the Vegan India Movement campaign.

After going vegan, I started losing friends. However, I knew that the universe has some good plans for me. Gradually, I met like-minded people. I think that's the reason why I lost my old friends and found new ones who are way way better. I am glad I found such amazing people. We go for treks, movies, vegan activism, and potlucks together. We even visit shelters and spend time with animals. I wouldn't have been able to do this with other friends. Going vegan was a turning point in my life. I made friends all over India. Whenever I visit any city, I always have friends there. This sense of belongingness is very beautiful.

I felt better both physically and mentally. I felt mentally better because I started living a guilt-free and cruelty-free lifestyle and made like-minded friends. I felt physically better because a plant-based diet is one of the healthiest diets on this planet provided you don't eat vegan junk food. I used to fall ill thrice a year but it all stopped. Now I hardly fall ill.

Hello! I am Vaibhavi. I have completed my post-graduation in management and currently, I'm working as a digital marketer in a small start-up. I love sketching, painting and cooking when it comes to veganising non-vegan recipes. I run a blog named Vguide which has blog posts related to veganism. Apart from that, I volunteer for vegan outreach events, animal adoption camps, and animal rescues.

I've been a vegan for seven years.

Read More

The Vegan Journey of Vaishnavi Dhumal | Vegan Beings India #059

 

I saw the slaughtering of chickens 4 years ago. Witnessing the way the poor animal was fighting for his life and struggling to not die for a momentary meal, made me feel sick. I instantly became vegetarian. I thought I was doing enough and now I wasn’t causing any harm to non-human animals.

I had heard of the term vegan but I was ignorant at that time. I did not understand why people go vegan in the first place. I thought it was extreme and that no cows are harmed for milk. Soon, I came across a post from an animal activist's account that was talking about the horrors that cows go through for milk. It also said to watch the documentary Dominion. I started doing my research and tried to watch the documentary. I couldn’t watch it completely, it was too rough to watch. To date, I haven’t seen it completely.

Shocked by all of this, I decided to go vegan. I started by cutting off dairy items from my daily consumption. But the wrong perception was that although I was doing it for ethical reasons, I still thought of it as a “diet”. This continued for a month, and then I started to realise it’s not a diet or my personal choice when there is a victim involved. 

So this one day when I was sitting in my canteen waiting for my oreo shake to come, it just hit me that I cannot keep expanding that I would take “small steps to cut off animal products from my diet” to adopt Veganism. Either way, the animal would still be abused while I was still making the baby steps. So, I went to the counter and cancelled my order, and turned vegan that day. 

Through these past 3 years, it has evolved me to learn more about animal rights, from thinking of veganism as a mere diet. I came to an understanding that this is a social justice movement for animal rights.

Also, the fact that animal rights activism is extremely important because I never went up and searched on the internet about veganism and Animal rights. I got educated about it through an animal activist's post. So I feel, being active for the animals is a key to keep educating people and speaking out for the animals.

Nobody is born a bad person, no sane person wants animals to be killed. I know you wouldn’t want to hurt animals. I know you also love your companion animal. You probably feed your community animals too, or do some other kind things in your life, which I acknowledge and make me feel that you are a compassionate person.

However, please understand that society has conditioned us into thinking of animals as a product and not as an individual. We grow up and unlearn so many things. It’s time we unlearn speciesism. We need you in this fight for animal rights. Please expand your compassion to all the non-human animals because I know you can.

My vegan journey has been great. On the positive side, I got to know so much about animal rights, got into activism, got out of my comfort zone, made connections with non-human animals, and looked at them as individuals, being more compassionate and understanding other beings.

On the negative experience, in the early months, I had lots of arguments with family and friends. I did not have the right approach to convey the message to them so it was stressful, but that only made me find the right approach, so I am glad.

In 2017, I came across this documentary called “The true cost” which showed me the horrors of the Fast Fashion industry and also the unethical treatment of their workers. Being a designer and a consumer of the fast fashion industry, it was a shocker. Sometimes there are so many things that we don’t question and things we don’t know, but I’m glad I saw that documentary and got to know about this.

That acted as a catalyst for me to learn more about sustainable fashion and I started working with natural dyes. I knew that I wanted to start my sustainable clothing brand sooner or later.

So when I graduated this year, I finally started up with my clothing brand by the name “Nyoro”, a sustainable, vegan, ethical, and slow fashion.

After going vegan I discovered a lot of new things. Getting educated about my choices, understanding how important the words we use are, I learned that most of the words we use are also speciesist and will objectify non-human animals, so I’m slowly unlearning it.

Read More

The Vegan Journey of Manasa Muthukumar | VBI #045

 

I have been against animal cruelty right from childhood, but I never acted upon it. I was a vegetarian before going vegan. I used to think that by being vegetarian, I was not causing any harm to animals. At school, I called myself a 'vegetarian activist' and questioned friends and teachers who ate meat. I would hear excuses like 'Lions eat meat' and 'Plants feel pain'. I would try my best to make my friends and teachers understand, but somehow I could never convince any of them. So, I would come home and read about different arguments on the internet. I also watched videos to learn how to debunk the arguments of meat-eaters. 

One such video that I watched was Gary Yourofsky's 'The best speech you'll ever hear'. Towards the end, Gary Yourofsky speaks about the horrors of the dairy industry, which I was supporting. I researched some more about veganism and got to know about honey, silk, leather, etc. I was in 12th standard then, and I realized that my actions didn't align with my morals. That's how I went vegan! It’s been more than 3 years now.

I also look for opportunities to have conversations with people about veganism. One challenge was the mess in my college. There were vegan options, and I could easily eat well. But meat, milk and eggs were served all the time, and many of my friends ate them. It was hard to sit amidst these products of violence. 

So, I decided to do something. There was a whiteboard outside the mess on which the menu was displayed. I bought a marker and carried it to the mess every day. I would anonymously write a vegan message such as 'Meat is Murder or 'Dairy is Scary', right next to the non-vegan menu on the whiteboard. Later, when I visited the mess, I would find messages like 'But Chicken is Tasty', etc., next to my message. It's puzzling when people say that veganism is restrictive or boring because going vegan opened up so many new amazing recipes that I never knew existed before.

I don't know if my marker-activism impacted anyone, but I at least knew that people were reading my messages and hopefully thinking about their actions.

Initially, they weren't too fond of the idea of me suddenly giving up on milk, curd, etc. I have also convinced my family to become vegan as well.They tried talking me into eating them again as they were concerned about Calcium and other nutrients. I showed my family Gary Yourofsky's speech. They also read about animal agriculture, climate change, health and nutrition. After a few months, my family decided to go vegan too. My mom stopped buying milk, curd, and ghee. She started cooking vegan for all of us. My dad read a lot about veganism. He has given a few virtual talks on veganism in colleges and companies. My brother took an interest in vegan baking, and that's how we started Cloud Nine.

Cloud Nine is a small vegan food business that my brother and I started close to a year ago. We sell vegan cupcakes, doughnuts, cookies, ice cream and pizza. In a place like Trichy, where most people haven't heard of the word vegan at all, we try to create awareness through our business. It is heartwarming that people find our food great.

Finally, I would like to give a message to non-vegans. Going vegan is not hard at all. It is hard if we worry about taste and what we'd be missing. It is effortless when we think about the animals because a life full of torture and gruesome death (which is what they face) is more challenging than not eating ice creams or biryani. With vegan alternatives becoming available everywhere, the transition is easy. There is absolutely no reason for us to stay non-vegan.

Hello, I am Manasa, an engineering student at NIT Trichy. I enjoy drawing, designing and photography. I speak up for animal liberation and I use art to spread the message of veganism. With my brother, I run Cloud Nine, a small venture through which we sell vegan food to the people of Trichy.

Read More

The Vegan Journey of Ruchika Chitrabhanu | Vegan Beings India #040

I first got to know about veganism 25 years ago through my in-laws, Gurudev Chitrabhanu and Pramoda Chitrabhanu. I tried going vegan in intervals for a short period. It was only when I saw Peta's feature on Indian Dairy, it dawned on me that cows in India are treated as commodities and not as mothers anymore. 

When I was feeding my child, I realized that human milk and animal milk look the same. Just as my body produces milk for my child, so does a cow produce milk for her calf. I would be devastated if my child were taken away from me. This was the turning point to go vegan.

Finally, 15 years ago I turned vegan. The only alternative available back then was soy milk, nothing else. Restaurants didn't know what a vegan is. So, going to parties or restaurants was a challenge. But being a vegan and not being instrumental in anyone's suffering made me far more happy. So honestly, I didn't miss much. At home, it was easy to make Indian food vegan as it is not dairy-dominated.

During those times, veganism was unknown in India. I got the opportunity to explain this to people. Over the years, I have helped many people transition to a vegan lifestyle or replace a few animal products with plant-based products with empathy and respect. Today, many of them are advocating for veganism and helping others transition.

I am a co-founder of Ahimsa Fest, India's largest vegan festival and a great place for vegans, vegan-curious, and non-vegans to know more about veganism. I recently founded The Earthen One, where we do online events to spread the message to a broader audience. There has been a lot of learning we had to do, but it has been a wonderful experience so far.

Being vegan has led me to many discoveries – health-wise, product-wise, people-wise. I now meet people who are so much more alert and not bogged down by senseless traditions and read about disruptive innovations in the food and fashion space. But what matters at the end of the day is that I am so much happier.

To anyone reading this, remember: Compassion has no form and that is why it has no boundaries. You have the power to make an impact that will last forever by making small changes (by going vegan). Use it.

___

Hello, I am Ruchika Chitrabhanu, an Interior Designer with a deep passion for design and art and an eye for detail. I have been an ethical vegan for 15 years, spreading awareness about veganism as a co-founder of Ahimsa Fest and founder of The Earthen One.

Read More

The Vegan Journey of Manish Muthukumar | Vegan Beings India #039

Three years ago, when I was 12, I went vegan. I stopped eating pizzas, ice cream, etc. Vegan alternatives are not available in the place I live. I was missing the yummy food I used to eat but I was very careful in what I ate. I never consumed anything that was not vegan. Going vegan is not even half as hard as most people think, and it is the need of the hour that we go vegan.

I have always been an animal lover. I used to be a vegetarian. I had no clue about the cruelty in the dairy industry. My sister decided to go vegan after she watched Gary Yourofsky's The best speech ever. Though I was a little hesitant about the idea of veganism initially, once I got to know the facts and the truth, there was no turning back. A few minutes of taste certainly does not justify subjecting individuals to torture or death. It is shocking how we are breeding and mercilessly killing billions of animals every year. Animals are members of our ecosystem and by killing them, we are also killing our planet and ourselves. After understanding these, it was clear that going vegan is the right thing to do.

Today, I have learned how to make vegan alternatives for pizza, ice cream, donuts, and cakes. Not just that, I sell them too through our venture Cloud Nine.

Cloud Nine is a small venture that my sister and I started ten months ago. Through Cloud Nine, we sell vegan cupcakes, birthday cakes, ice cream, cookies, donuts, and pizzas to the people of Trichy with the idea of promoting veganism and helping transitioning vegans make their transition. We began with just cupcakes on our menu, but have added many more foods along the way. Though not many people know about veganism here in Trichy, the response to our venture has been great. It is heartwarming that many people order from us, over and over again. 

We have made and sold about 500 cupcakes since we began. My sister and I work together. I take care of the baking and delivery, while my sister does the packaging and poster designing. Together, we connect with customers and manage our social media page. Through our food, we tell people that vegan food is just like non-vegan food- minus the cruelty. There are so many lessons that we learned, and we are hoping to grow our business.

Apart from Cloud Nine, I write poems and articles on veganism to express my views on why veganism is important. You can check them here @manish_the_little_poet

 

Read More

The Vegan Journey of Vidhi Pala | Vegan Beings India #038

 

I have had thyroid since childhood (hereditary). Within two months of turning vegan, I got my thyroid normal. This gave me a boost to deal with people who were asking me about my nutrition and health. Moreover, I have lost almost 25 kg weight, from which I have lost 12-13 kg after adapting to a healthy vegan lifestyle. 

It was around 14-15 months back that I watched a video about cruelty in the dairy industry. I couldn't watch it for more than 20-30 seconds. Instantly, I decided to go vegan and I always regret why I didn't know this sooner.

Initially, I had to struggle to explain to everyone why I turned vegan, but my family supported me, so it became quite easy. It was going smoothly till I was at home. I had quit dairy within a moment, and I was so sure that nothing could change my mind, and my transition phase was much easier. The struggle started again when I had to go to the hostel after the first lockdown. Not only about food on campus, but I had to deal with so many questions from the friends over there. However, debating with them made me stronger about the concept of animal rights and veganism.

I was trying to live a sustainable lifestyle, but after turning vegan I got to learn many things about how animal agriculture is related to the environment. I make healthy vegan dishes and through my page @veggiieveganfit , I share how vegan dishes are delicious and we don't need any animal products just for our 5 minutes of taste. I am vegan for animals, health, and the environment. Currently, I am not much into activism but will start soon with more enthusiasm.

I have learned, unlearned, and relearned so many things, connected with many people over social media and all these things made me confident about veganism/animal rights. To anyone reading this, I would say just try to look into the eyes of the animal, whose product or who is going to be eaten by you. It's all about conscious choices.

__________

Hi, I am Vidhi, about to complete my post-graduation (M.Tech.) in VLSI domain and looking for placements. I am a classical dancer and completed my graduation in Kathak. Apart from that, I like to sketch, skate, write and cook. You can follow my work at @veggiieveganfit 

Read More

The Vegan Journey of Dharini | Vegan Beings India #037

At the age of 1.5 years, we introduced cow's milk for my son, for which he started showing allergic symptoms despite removing dairy from the diet. Later, I could fix this issue by myself not consuming dairy and that worked since I was still breastfeeding him. I breastfed my son for 2.5 years on a vegan diet. 

I chose to be a vegetarian from childhood for compassion reasons. My vegan friend Divya Anandan inspired me to go Vegan from Vegetarian. 

In October 2017, initially, I went vegan to regain my health after postpartum exhaustion and fatigue symptoms. I reaped enough benefits from following a vegan diet and felt positive and determined to embrace a vegan lifestyle as well. I care about the environment and I could make a huge difference by going dairy-free and not using animal products/products tested on animals.

My very first step for going vegan was about going dairy-free. I had a strong emotional attachment with curd and coffee. I grew up eating curd rice all my life and coffee was my saviour, surviving through emotional roller coasters. Letting go of dairy wasn't just a change in diet but also was a spiritual evolution of letting go of things that don't serve me anything good. I followed a strict juicing routine, salads, smoothies, and steamed foods made to shed unwanted fat, with much less physical activity. I started regaining my health postpartum. Going vegan was a life-changing experience that made me embrace a humble lifestyle and stay positive, grounded, and as a human.

We tend to force ourselves with the conditioned practices without batting an eye on visible issues since we have been programmed that way by sticking to traditional practices.

Going Vegan made me question the existing truths of mine.

Going Vegan made me think compassionately.

Going Vegan made me embrace a humble living by mindful consumption.

Going Vegan made me consume processed foods to the minimum.

Going Vegan made me shed unwanted fat.

Going Vegan made me follow sustainable fashion.

A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step and going vegan starts with a determination more than perfection. It is not just having compassion for animals but also for yourself.

I could never go vegan, said every vegan. If you fear not achieving the goal of going Vegan, start with baby steps: meat-free/seafood free▶️ Egg free▶️Dairy/honey-free.

✅Be kind to yourself.

✅Trust your journey.

✅Celebrate small wins.

✅ See the bigger picture.

✅Believe in the purpose.

✅Your effort matters.

I have felt the best of my health after going Vegan.

I am more positive in and out after I went Vegan.

I make my vegan milks and curds, I tweak traditional recipes that aren't Vegan. Veganism made me creative, turning me into a recipe developer.

Vanakkam! I'm Dharini from Madurai,Tamil Nadu. 

I'm a trained graduate teacher and a food Instagrammer. I am passionate about cooking, art, crafts, music, and poetry. I share my daily routine and food stories on Instagram. I believe that I can make a difference in lives in small ways that I can. I write about carrying out a simple vegan lifestyle and what it takes to be a full-time homemaker.

I would love to thank all my vegan friends who are my soul family, they backed me up all the time supporting me through the struggles of the journey. The vegan friends and followers cheer me up with positivity and hope which keeps me going.

Read More

The Vegan Journey of Vismaya Kulkarni | VBI #022

 

I'm a psychology graduate & an animal rights activist. I aspire to contribute to the field of animal psychology some day. I've been trying low waste living since quite a while. I'm the founder of @luna.upcycle.store , an upcycling store on Instagram. My heart is where art is. I have a blog too!

I remember watching Peta's videos on Facebook back in 9th grade. I can clearly recall the horror the animals went through in those videos. I spoke to my mom about it, who then introduced the term 'vegan' to me. Unfortunately, back then, there wasn't much awareness & exposure about veganism in my 14 year old self's life. But, as I grew up, so did my love for dairy. 

When I got into college, I still used to watch Peta's videos occasionally. The fear & tears in those animals' eyes as they were being dragged, gives me chills even today. One day, I looked at my dog, and it just struck me. I realised, if I didn't want the same thing happening to my dog, then how could I let it happen to other animals? 

My empathetic self soon knew that I had to go vegan, but I didn't know how. Fortunately, at college, I met many other vegans & got the exposure to veganism & alternatives that I badly needed. That's when I turned vegan overnight, because I couldn't let even one other animal suffer because of me. I soon learnt that I had to do my own research on it, and when I did, I learnt about even more benefits & results of going vegan- like for the environment, my own health, etc. But to this day, my number one reason to go vegan is for the animals.

Since the products I was craving were easily available, it took a lot of will power on my side to continue being vegan initially. I still feel like, if my will power was not that strong like it was, I would've given up easily (but thank goodness, I didn't!). This is why I always tell people, if I can do it, so can you. 

A major achievement of mine would be showing people the truth through my page @planetontheplate and them going vegan because of that. I feel like I've not only changed so many animals' lives, but also people's. I have also hosted multiple events & have also been a panelist at few. I realized being vegan isn't enough, I have to have a holistically sustainable lifestyle. So, I've been trying low waste living, which led me to create @luna.upcycle.store, where I use items deemed as waste to create beautiful & functional products from them.

With all my efforts, I aim to make people aware of the truth as well as help them adapt a vegan & sustainable lifestyle.

Read More

The Vegan Journey of Activist Pratiksha | VBI #019

Pratiksha is an architecture student, a freelance graphic designer, an artist and an animal rights activist. She loves painting and making plastic free crafts. She also likes reusing old clothes and making dresses. All together, she is completely into the field of art and sustainability.

What made you go vegan?

I belong to a Jain family and since childhood my mom taught me that we should respect other's lives be it a human, an ant or a mosquito. I always knew that it's wrong to eat animals and use animal derived products. I always used to tell my friends who ate non-veg that it's wrong. But I never knew that I myself was supporting something which causes pain and suffering to animals. I always loved dairy products and used to think that there is nothing wrong with them.

In June 2019, I was on a 15 day plant based diet. I didn't know anything about veganism. I came across this diet through the Satvic movement about a healthy lifestyle. In that, they advised us to not drink milk and to avoid dairy products. But on 1st July 2019, in the morning I came across one post on Insta which said, "If you consume dairy, you support the beef industry. Watch Deadly Dairy and Cowspiracy on YouTube." At that moment, I watched Deadly Dairy and after knowing the truth, I decided to go vegan and went vegan that day itself.

Also, after watching Cowspiracy, I learnt how my choices were harming the environment. I was a climate activist on social media and was trying to follow a zero waste lifestyle at that time. Then, I started attending Fridays for Future events and started social media activism for animals. In the process, I met Ravi Keerthi with whom I started street activism for the animals. 

Was it easier to turn vegan being in a Jain family?

It was easier, but less because I am from a Jain family and more for the reason that my parents were quite supportive. When I explained to them about the cruelty towards cows and the whole process, they were very convinced. My mom also turned vegan after that. My dad was not supportive in the starting because he was worried that if I don't take milk, I might fall sick. Gradually he understood everything. Even though he hasn't turned vegan, he has stopped drinking milk for some time. My mom and my younger brother are vegan. 

How did your activism start? How has your experience been?

I am from Lucknow, I study architecture in Vijayawada. I started my activism in Vijayawada when I met Ravi Keerthi. There was a language barrier in Vijayawada because I don't know Telugu at all. I used to go with Ravi anna for outreach. I used to hold a laptop and he used to speak. We were around 3-4 people. Sometimes, I used to do chalktivism there because I was good at writing and drawing. Around October, I started focusing more on social media activism due to the language barrier while doing street activism. I made a video regarding it. After that, I collaborated with Ravi Keerthi for one of his videos for Mission Vegan Andhra. That video was about Jainism and Ahimsa.

In December, I'd gone to Pune for around 3 months for my internship. I joined an animal activism group there also and used to attend it every weekend. It was quite a good experience there especially for the fact that I could use Hindi there. In the beginning, I was a bit scared to talk to people. For the first 2 weekends, I went for activism but I didn't speak to people out of nervousness. I used to do leaf-letting and laptop holding. There I met two activists, Deepak and Swati. They motivated me to speak to people and not be scared.

I organised the Satyagraha 2 event of the Vegan India Movement in Pune. Sakshi and I also organised Women's Day Outreach. That was in collaboration with Animal Equality. I learnt a lot in these few months at Pune regarding street activism.

How are you incorporating your artistic skills in activism?

 Recently we have started an Instagram page, United for The Unheard (UFTU India). Sakshi, Raj and I are the co-founders of UFTU. I handle graphic designing for that page. Other than that, I used to do some illustrations earlier. Currently, I am working with embroidery more. However, I always try to make my products eco friendly and sustainable. I never use plastic in my packaging.

From childhood, I had a dream that I would open a handicraft business. After turning vegan, I also came to know about sustainability. Hence. I decided to incorporate that too in my products. I do almost everything from scratch and try to purchase less.

What are your plans ahead for UFTU?

For now, we're sticking to social media activism. We have two pages, UFTU India and UFTU Hindi. Our plan is to cover as many regional languages as possible. UFTU Marathi will be coming soon. After that, we'll be coming with UFTU Kannada. The main aim is to reach to all the regions of India through these regional languages. Once the COVID situation gets better, we're planning offline activism as well.

What message would you like to share for fellow vegans?

I think every vegan should try to do activism as and when possible. I am not saying that if you're vegan and not doing activism, you're doing anything wrong. However, the number of animals being killed is very huge and there are a limited number of vegans who're raising their voice for animals. So, it's very important that people get actively involved in any way possible. If not a post, it can be shared in the story as well.

Another thing I would like to point out within our vegan community is that many times, activists fight with each other and I am totally against it. It's possible that two people might have different ideas with the same goal. It's okay to follow your own idea and do activism. But it's not fine to publicly mock other fellow activists on social media. It is not good on an individual level as well as for the movement. I've come across a few instances where some activists pin point other activists on social media.

Anything else you would like to share?

After getting involved in animal rights activism, I've come to know about a lot of new things like anti-natalism, LGBTQ rights, raw plant based diet, etc. Also, before turning vegan, I was an introvert and because of that I have a fear of talking in front of new people. So, in the beginning I faced problems while doing activism. I used to avoid talking and just stood with my laptop. But slowly with the help and motivation of Pune activists I learnt how to reach out to people on streets during activism. That has been very helpful for a person like me.

Final message to non-vegans...

If you know the truth then please don't ignore it, change your actions and align them with your ethics. If you don't know the truth, research it online, reach out to us, we will help you out to become a vegan and an activist.

 

Read More