Am I *really* a vegetarian

Caution: Some lines might be quite disturbing! Readers watch-out for *skip* lines. Though I encourage you to read everything.

A conversation I will distinctly remember in my life with a Polish/Austrian person (P)

P: So, do you eat meat?

Me: No, I am a vegetarian

P: So, you eat fish?

Me: No, I am a vegetarian

P: How about eggs?

Me: No, I am a vegetarian

P: So, what do you eat? Where do you get your proteins and nutrients from?

Me: Lentils, milk, fruits *bla bla*

The conversation might sound funny to some which was my intention too. But it is also a subtle way of stressing on the fact that there are people who don't even know what vegetarianism is, and they also don't know about other options available to them. I cannot blame them. Diet is a function of so many parameters and geography and climate play a big part in it. You can only eat what is available to you, but that is not an excuse for many in this world. When alternatives are available, there is another word for these people - 'selfish'. But in this 'selfish' world it is not necessarily 'wrong' and hence they exist.

People associate vegetarianism with religion. But just like religion is a way of life (which many might not agree), vegetarianism is also a way of life. To me it is the symbol of non-violence. I have had many childhood arguments back in school supporting vegetarians. Soon, the argument will revolve around 'killing' 'lives'. Do vegetarians consume only bi-products? Don't they 'kill' the plants (rice/paddy/wheat) albeit at the end of their life cycle?

When you move away from things that you took for granted, that is when you miss them. After I came to the US, I started learning more about our (then) 'non-violent' way of life from my grandmother, my elders, my friends and so on. And here I am presenting a few and contrasting it with our current 'way of life'.

*skip*

I was dumb enough to realize very late that a cow can lactate only for a few months and so you need to keep her under lactation! So, never questioned what happens to the calves (male or female) that she gives birth to. Forget even the atrocities that she has to go through (I will leave it to the reader to google for it if 'interested'). 

*resume*

Contrast it with the situation just two generations before, my grandmother's family had their own cow. She (the cow) was called Lakshmi. My grandmother told me about stories of the calf and how it would hop around and they can even leave a baby unattended! The calf will just hop around, up and over the baby. Call it coincidence, bravado or foolishness it highlighted one important point, the mutual love and the trust that existed between the animals and us. And they used to rear the cow for milk only after the calf had consumed enough for itself and the beauty was, the cow still gave enough milk for the whole family (a family of easily 6)! And they exchanged calves. You did not have special male breeds (oxen) for the farms and the male calves were in demand too. And cows were given a proper burial after their life and not sent 'elsewhere'.

And how about plants? Every one knows how current farming is done. Completely mechanized and made commercial. But again a 'few' years back or maybe even now, plants were never uprooted. Spinach for example, only a few branches were removed and the rest were left on the ground. So, they were still 'products'. Fruits were never nipped in bunches. At least a couple of fruits were left in the trees, they were never made to look bare. The same applied to flowers and any plant produce for that matter.

'Non-violence' was written all over. Not only 'written' but also spoken. For instance, my ancestors used the word 'thirutharadhu' for 'cutting' vegetables. It was not 'naRukkaradhu' or 'aRukkaradhu' which actually means 'cutting'. 'Thirutharadhu' literally means 'correcting'. We 'correct' the shape of the vegetables, not 'cut' them. I could not stop admiring our 'olden' and 'traditional' ways. Even the 'produce' was treated with love and care, not only the main plant and animals. 

What is 'sustainable' then, may not be 'sustainable' now. To feed 7 billion people in the world and 1 billion people in India it does need innovation and a change in methodologies and principles. But, the nadir that we seem to have hit upon makes me feel bad that I am part and I am contributing to this system. But, when I see at least a few people questioning such means and relishing old methods it helps in keeping the 'hope' alive. Veganism and Organic are alternates but still not substitutes to our olden days. Though I am not fully convinced of both, organic seems to be a better start than other alternatives currently available. Still looking for better means and I guess will keep looking.