Lets talk vegetarianism today...

What is vegetables to you judgmental vegetarian? Its just food, right? Then why so judgemental about other’s kind of food?

And you Non-vegetarian lover, no one asked you to smile away. You too are as judgmental to the vegetarian crowd as they are to you. 

Basically, I am not here to solve this tussle. But I am here to understand humanity from a different angle all together. Before all my gyaan pours in, note that I have an amazing recipe of Kachche Kathal ki Dum Biryani down after the post. Do make it a point to read that at least.

Now food is what we need to survive. Yes, survival makes us selfish. Yes, humans were created to be socially selfish. What we didn’t understand was the fine line in the middle which was defined as responsibility. Today, its easier to bombard your judgement on others about their choices, just because its different from yours. I have personally felt it from many vegetarians across communities who were so unreceptive to other’s choice. And by no means am I here to praise non-vegetarian sentiments. I am only here to talk about a choice of lifestyle and the fact that people need to respect it even if it is different than others’.

Vegetarians, you are killing too-

Yes, you read it right. The day you stop buying things with roots to your house, you may absolve from calling yourself a killer. But while chewing on a carrot stick and digging into a spinach salad; you are killing too. And at times, you even make sprouts, to kill it the very next day. How insensitive, you killed an infant which would have become a full-blown plant if you gave it that chance.

See, I get it. You feel we are butchers. But is it too much to ask that we are different and what you think may not be what I am thinking. I like meat and I have it. Doesn’t mean I don’t like carrots or tomatoes. I like myself and I nourish myself to the best of my ability. This is all we need to understand. As every ‘I’ is different, every ‘ability’ would also be different. All we need is to keep a responsibility tab on our ability and we are good to go. I request you to be just a bit more receptive. Yes, animals are animals, but the one you are speaking to is a human with feelings. Be truly responsible to his or her feelings first.  

Non-vegetarians, stop being wasteful-

I have noticed that most of the lavish households in this world don’t feel a thing when they toss out that perfectly edible offal down in the trash can. Please respect the food. Understand your need, and buy only what you need. Don’t stock up just for a good discount. Instead donate it to a needy right then and there. In our supermarket culture, discounts speak. But just respect it enough to not waste.

In early days, sausages and dry fish were invented to keep wastage at the minimal level, and to stock up for the winter which was harsh. These were pure sentiments designed to pay homage to the life of that animal who was sacrificed to keep humans healthy. Sin is not killing, but being unrespectful to the purpose of the kill. Today, those pure sentiments are lost upon a flimsy coat of civilization. When you get something so easily, its much easier to forget the real cost behind that.

Cow Vigilantism… Really??

Don’t even get me started on this point. I mean what was the government thinking while banning cow slaughter is beyond my understanding of un-discriminatory India. ‘Gaay hamari Mata Hai’ – ‘Cows are our mother’- a direct translation of the phrase. And upon asking a reason for this phrase, pat comes the answer- ‘because it gives us milk.’ But did you forget how much you grew up on buffalo milk? Or the pristine white clarified butter that was added to your vegetables? You know whose milk that came from- our humble buffalo. And still so discriminatory towards that big black beauty? I feel this is to do with India’s obsession with anything white. Too much I say!!!!

And even the fact about the milk production. Don’t you feel the only one supposed to drink that milk is the calf? Why are you bottling and selling it? When your mother, sister, wife birthed; was the milk extracted to feed a population? I am just asking the question without meaning harm. Don't you feel its time that you questioned this ban too?

Respect greenery-

The bigger issue to solve in today’s India is that every Indian needs to respect the green trees that surrounds us. I am educated enough to understand cutting trees for development is needed. I mean wider roads would solve many traffic jams. Or an extra residential complex may help lower the sky rocketing prices of flats. But all I am saying is for every Indian to rise up to this pollution with a solution that is as simple as can be. All we need to do is plant 15 plants in and outside our houses. That's all. Just plant flowers or herbs or vegetables, and keep them alive. Don’t be afraid of the mosquitoes or earth worm that they might get into your house. Yes, to start with they would; but eventually it is only going to better the situation that we are in right now. Imagine if all the four flats in every floor of a 12 floored society, planted 15 plants for every bedroom they had. Do the maths and then you would know. We would be able to purify our air much faster than an electronic air purifier. Plant more, grow more and buy less veggies should be the new urban mantra. 

And the most controversial for the last – Understand Halal before passing a judgement over it.

Yes I am Hindu, and yet I am telling you that I love to buy Halal as far as my meat and poultry needs go. Halal doesn’t mean an inhuman way to cut. It means that we are making sure that impurities run out and the meat is fit for consumption. Scientifically it is a better process for storage and safer to eat too. Ideologically too, these days most of the supermarkets make sure that the butchers stun the animals before the halal process begins. Understand the origin of this process. It has stemmed from a pure emotion of survival in a hot sunny dessert area. Survival of healthy humans in a far flung dessert area with limited water supply was tough. And yet, they survived. Truly, Necessity is the mother of all inventions!!

This article is written with a pure intention to ask relevant questions about our choices. In no way am I to favor one to another forms of eating habit. Both these eating habits (veg and non-veg) makes for a balanced country. So literally a balance is all we should crave for.

Kachchi Kathal ki Dum Biryani-

Recipe and ingredients on a click here.

Cheers!!