Meat-free day on the anvil
Sir Paul McCartney recently added to his longstanding India connection, by appealing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to declare a national day to observe vegetarianism. Apart from his legendary avatar as a former Beatle, Sir Paul is also a staunch supporter of the animal rights group PETA, on behalf of whom he has made the request.
Says Sachin Bangera, senior media coordinator PETA, “The idea was to give the nation food for thought about how going vegetarian helps their health, animals and the environment, and encourage them to feel good about choosing to go meat-free for a day.”
Nilesh Bhanage, founder, Plants and Animal Welfare Society, says this is a welcome move “even if it has just one per cent of its intended effect”. “However, we need to have strict regulations to prevent animals from cruelty. After all, Gandhiji said that a nation is judged by how it treats its animals.”
While the vegan and vegetarian communities have come out in support of the initiative, some people have expressed reservations. Says Dylan Rebeiro, a copywriter and animal lover, “I do not equate animal rights with being vegetarian. I eat meat because it’s a part of the culture I’ve grown up in.”
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