Sunday 10 February 2013

Are we living in denial?

It was past midnight one day, when I happened to play a YouTube video while browsing about nothing and everything. I often did this because night was the time I had. That was my own. No work could be done. No grocery could be shopped for.

Little did I know that no morning hereafter would go without recollecting this night- thrice at least. Thrice because on an average, I eat three meals each day.

I have always skipped videos such as this one, conveniently stating,
  • "I know exactly what they're going to blabber. Tell me something new"
  • "I'd rather watch the happy side of life"
  • "I'm in no mood for this"
This one night, I gave them a chance. Just to confirm that they really were here to blabber about nothing I didn't know.

Few minutes into this clip, I realized that while dodging the topic, I was only

"A hypocrite living in denial of what I truly am- a Nazi who's directing a holocaust.

And while explicitly enjoying your meat, if you've dodged these videos too, believe me, you are but my fellow Nazi.

Does being born a human- the powerful, the smarter of the species, make it legit to manhandle every other species for our trivial desires? Did I just say 'Trivial'? Let me correct- a desire so profound, so important, so 'but-obvious!', as supreme as nurturing my darling taste buds. 

Why must I not eat the most delicious?
- I earned it. It's delicious. I can afford it. It's a human need!

well then,

Why must I not rape?
- I spotted her. She's refreshing. I can totally grope her. It's a human need!

Apologies for the insensitive corollary but your rationale is clearly no different from that of a rapist. What we miss in both these instances, is the other living being. You earned it but do they deserve it? 

Darwin's theory can even defend an assault, a rape and every other crime we the HUMANE despise.

Is it really fair to torture her because we desire not just food but the yummiest food? Do you really want to clip her ears and brand her with a flaming rod so that we know it's been tortured in "hygienic" environments? You are dumping her live with 100 others, just so that it is FRESH to chop for the morning salami?

Rubbish? How else do you believe, does a neatly packaged pack of meat appear on the shelf of your neighborhood supermarket? Was it found in a farm- just soiled? Was she playing happily in the field and simply shot in the head?

She WAS playing happily in the field. If what followed was just death- I'd certainly have said she had the best life. 

Sadly, that's exactly what didn't happen. What followed was, suffocation, non-anesthised branding, crippling cages and beating because we don't have all the time in the world for their slow leisurely walks around the slaughter house.

Note to the reader: I'm not anti meat eaters. I'm only requesting you to know your food. To be aware of how it reaches you. Please don't live in denial. 

If you have time to spare today, do watch "Earthlings" today - the single most honest and informative documentary by Nation Earth, about the use of nonhuman animals.

Don't use ignorance as an excuse. Come up with a rationale better than that of the rapist you detest. Be truly proud of your meat while you eat it. 

12 comments:

  1. Hear , hear ...perfectly said.

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  2. Thought provoking and gives a moral push to the ideal of being aware of the other side before taking a decision based on only what benefits me.
    Hirdesh

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  3. very interesting write up girl..very well put.. would it be politically/emotionally incorrect to say im still hungry!

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    1. Hungry for food is legit! In-fact cruelty-free food pleases the many senses beyond and in addition to the sense of taste :-)

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  4. Well put vyomika. Definitely thought provoking and full credit to you for actually turning Vegan. A lot of ppl would probably feel the same way you do but i don't know anyone who would give up that much for a good cause. Congratulations on taking that extra step.

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  5. The jungle rule is that the animals do not kill when they are not hungry.But we humans amass the harmless living beings and kill them in hundreds of thousands to entertain our bellies.The Roman civilization came to an end because of their avidity to eat and eat.It was then said: For them their belly is their God.The Romans in their wealthy days shouted " PANEM ET CIRCENSES".Well, we are not different from them Jesus said that one cannot serve God and Mammon.If you serve one, you disregard the other.Do we really serve God? I appreciate this letter and totally approve of it.It is a imely piece of advice worth remembering and implementing sooner and sooner than later.

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    1. Thank you for your very interesting comment! You are right- it's time, we- the humans, become aware of the impact our actions can have on other beings, us and our planet.

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  6. RIshi Raj Singh29 May 2013 at 01:47

    Very well said Vyomika.
    Will try to watch this.

    Turned vegetarian 10 years ago for similar reasons, never thought about Vegan, so will watch this documentary

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  7. Kaizen Krishna17 July 2013 at 13:35

    Ms. Sahni, very impressive. (Most of us feel bad about such things and then leave it at thatm as we have more urgent work of living to do). U might as well be my soul sister. Your reference to Darwin- that is exacly what I like to spread around. i.e. if God made us more superior, it comes with a corresponding responsibility of protecting the environment and our fellow beings, with whom we share our beautiful earth. If we were to solely go by the "survival of the fittest" theory, we wlll soon be slaughtering our own kind (the old and the handicapped),who clearly won't live upto our "high" standards of existance, and of course like animals, are unable to defend themselves. I say this specifically with reference to people who believe that animals have been put on earth to be eaten. We are no longer hunter-gatherers. These things affect us, only when such things happen to faces and body structures like ours. Like when a gynaecologist in Japan, a couple of years ago, was caught cooking and later eating aborted human foetus. She claimed the meat was more delicious than anything she had ever eaten. This is how we humans treat lesser fortunate beings, who are so solely because of their inability to defend themselves. It is like an Auchwitz that happens on a daily basis. And like Adolf Hitler, we have our own reasons to justify it.

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  8. In Delhi newborn puppies are being sale. We need to save those little pups. People are becoming so cruel n not thinking about the babies also.

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