I have nothing against vegetarians. A lot of them
are friends who invite me home for meals where I cheerfully stuff my face with
pulao (just don’t call it veg. biriyani), stuffed chapathis, papads, gobi
manchurian and carrot halwa. When I
return the favour, they are content to tuck into my veggie fried rice, chilli
paneer, mushroom au gratin and chocolate fudge without gagging at the sight of
the non – vegetarian spread. More importantly, they have never judged me for my
carnivorous ways nor, I them their culinary choices since these have their
roots in culture, tradition, religion or personal preference. That ought to be
that, but unfortunately it isn’t.
In recent times, many from the growing ranks of
vegetarians who may prefer terms like vegan, lacto vegetarian, ovo vegetarian,
pollotarian, pescatarian or flexitarian have taken a militant stand against
eaters of meat seemingly determined to convert those they believe don’t know
better with missionary zeal and extreme shaming tactics. Herbivores seek to
condemn and criticize those who are partial to their deluxe bacon burgers and
mutton biriyani or simply cannot pay the criminal prices charged for kale,
aubergine, quinoa and salads made with 75 environment friendly ingredients.
Surely that is obscene in a land where too many are unable to afford one square
meal let alone an expensive, organically sourced vegan one? If a fattened goat
feeds a family for a week why begrudge anybody that?
Almost as bad is the attempt to impose cardinal
culinary principles on others by those who are sanguine in the mistaken belief
that vegetarianism is synonymous with virtue which makes them morally superior beings
and the offspring of dharma and ahimsa. When those of the phytophagous variety
(foes of flora, I like to call them), insist that it is not possible for those
who can’t do without roasted chicken to love or care for animals, that those
who feed their children meat are guilty of abuse (never mind that courts in
various parts of the world have pulled up parents who forced their dietary
‘principles’ on their children with the result that they wound up malnourished)
and meat eaters are destroying the planet, the overblown rhetoric stripped of
nuance leaves me convinced that all this is little more than superficial
posturing and hollow outraging, designed to dictate what others eat and police
personal menus.
Studies by Nicoletta Pellegrini have shown that while
consumption of animal products have a high environmental impact, vegans with
their excessive reliance on processed substitutes for meat and dairy don’t
necessarily show a significantly smaller carbon footprint. Besides bland purely
vegan dishes are not half as fortifying or fulfilling as meat based cuisine
which leads to a higher food intake which in turn defeats the purpose,
herbivores keep harping about. It is why experts feel an ovo – vegetarian or
flexitarian diet is more likely to produce environmental benefits.
I am not advocating indiscriminate consumption but
it is easier to make healthier choices when one is not pressured or forced into
it. After all, you are what you eat, and if your dietary decisions make you
smug, sanctimonious and superior, perhaps a change in the menu might be in
order.
