PETA India: A Vegetarian Agenda For The People of India
Former Beatles singer, songwriter and composer Sir Paul McCartney has sent a letter to the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh asking him to declare January 12th as a meat-free day in India. In his letter McCartney said that “It would be a celebration of life, all life”. Coincidentally January 12th is also the anniversary of the Indian chapter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). In addition to celebrating life it would also be a celebration of PETA!
Paul McCartney also asked the PM to watch a video titled “Glass Walls”. This video shows slaughterhouses in India “where millions of cattle’s, chickens, pigs and other animals meet a frightening bloody end”. He added “What you see on the screen goes against our cherished ideals of peace and non-violence and makes a mockery of ahimsa”. Ahimsa is a word and a concept that can have a wide range of meanings and application. Paul McCartney’s definition of ahimsa in this case seems to be very narrow.
Ahimsa means kindness and non-violence towards all living things. Some Hindus, Buddhists and Jains have interpreted this to mean that violence against animals and birds (two-legged and four-legged according to Rig-Veda Samhita) is prohibited. But plants are also life forms. Why does ahimsa apply to animals but not to plants? In addition an act of violence as a form of self defense and eating meat is sanctioned by all religions in India including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Ahimsa does not mean that meat eating is prohibited. Dharmasutra (a law book), scriptures relating to Ayurveda, Sushruta Samhita and the Charaka Samhita all have passages that allow the faithful to eat meat. The Rig Veda has many passages regarding horse sacrifice and other rituals involving the killing of animals and sharing the meat. Hunting also has a lot of sanction in scriptures. In Buddhism ordinary individuals and even monks are allowed to eat meat and fish provided the animal was not killed specifically for them! On the other hand you will find some evidence in Buddhism that prohibits followers from cutting or burning trees.
There is a perception at least outside of India that Indians are for the most part vegetarians. This is not correct. Majority of Indians are non-vegetarians. Non-vegetarian cuisine can be found everywhere in India. Then there are Indians who are mostly vegetarians who consume meat once in a while (This is mostly driven by economic reasons. Meat is very expensive in India). However, there is a section of Indian society who are strict vegetarians and it is equally common to find vegetarian restaurants in India.
A 2006 IBN-Hindu study found that 31% of Indians consider themselves as vegetarians. This number drops to 21% when we look at families where all members are vegetarians. The study also shows that vegetarianism is a result of cultural practice rather than religious beliefs. Surprisingly the study also found that only 55% of Brahmins are vegetarians.
As expected, region is a major factor when it comes to eating habits. In states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal less than 5% of the people are vegetarians (In Tamil Nadu it is 8%). States like Rajasthan (63%), Haryana (62%), Punjab (48%) and Gujarat (45%) have a lot of vegetarians.
As I was reading Paul McCartney’s comments I was wondering why should the government of India declare January 12th as a meat-free day and there by impose one set of cultural values on the majority of the Indian public? Would Paul McCartney and PETA be comfortable with the government of India declaring January 13th as a meat-only day?
Western organizations like PETA have a major role to play in a country like India. Animal cruelty in India is a major issue. We can learn a lot from them. But human beings are animals too. It is cruel to force a tiger or a lion to live on a vegetarian diet. Why is it not cruel and unethical to force a vegetarian agenda on the people of India who are predominantly non-vegetarians? It is also important to note that human beings are omnivores (eat both meat and plant foods). PETA seems to support the cause of some animals but not all!
PETA India website has a section dedicated to vegetarianism. This section covers subjects like “eating meat harms the environment” and “Protecting Your Health”. The “Protecting Your Health” section covers subjects like “The spread of animal-borne diseases”, “what is wrong with milk and eggs”, “deadly poisons from the sea”, “how to raise vegan kids” and so forth. The highly negative portrayal of meat and fish products is totally unprofessional. This is fear mongering. Plants and vegetables can cause similar problems for human beings. The way food products are processed, packaged and stored is the important issue. The PETA USA website does not have a “vegetarian” section or such an aggressive campaign against eating meat. Why?
In the ABOUT PETA section (USA website) there is no mention of vegetarianism. It states the following: “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than 2 million members and supporters. PETA focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: on factory farms, in the clothing trade, in laboratories, and in the entertainment industry. We also work on a variety of other issues, including the cruel killing of beavers, birds, and other “pests” as well as cruelty to domesticated animals. PETA works through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns”.
Now notice the difference in the ABOUT PETA section (India website). “PETA India, based in Mumbai, was launched in January 2000. PETA India operates under the simple principle that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on or use for entertainment, while educating policymakers and the public about animal abuse and promoting an understanding of the right of all animals to be treated with respect. PETA India focuses primarily on the areas in which the greatest numbers of animals suffer the most: in the food and leather industries, laboratories and the entertainment industry. PETA India’s investigative work, public education efforts, research, animal rescues, legislative work, special events, celebrity involvement and national media coverage have resulted in countless improvements to the quality of life for animals and have saved countless animals’ lives”.
PETA India is clearly emphasizing vegetarianism in India but not to the same extent in countries like the United States. The organization is using celebrities like Paul McCartney and others to promote this agenda. It has every legal right to do so but I question the motivations. Is PETA India trying to capitalize on the myth that Indians are vegetarians? Why does PETA talk about the dangers posed by meat products in their Indian website but not in the US? Does PETA India think that the majority of Indians who are meat eaters will roll over and follow PETA’s agenda?
India leads the world in hunger. According to International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) 200 million Indians do not know where their next meal is coming from. A vast majority of the poor in India belong to the lower castes and they are predominantly non-vegetarian. India simply does not have the knowledge, capacity or the resources to keep up with the demand for food products.
To have a vegetarian only agenda in such a critical situation, which can only complicate things further, is not only selfish but also totally irresponsible.
“Even if animal research resulted in a cure for AIDS, we would be against it” – PETA President Ingrid Newkirk
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Category: News & Government