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Its not a Peta sponsored article. And I’m neither an old chap nor a complete vegetarian, technically. Going veg does have its benefits. From the point of view of your health, you cut down the risk of heart attacks. You bring down the risk of obesity. You get endowed with a healthy heart.

From a spiritual point of view, you lead a much more calmer life. Research shows that vegetarians don’t loose their cool in stressful situations. You’re happier that another creature isn’t being digested in your belly.

If you’re an eco-friendly chap, please note that a kilo of meat produced consumes more water than a pound of bread. More CO₂ is produced by animals in farms than traffic.

Yes, meat contains more protein per ounce than vegetables. But it isn’t a must for survival. Farm fresh & organic vegetables are easily available. They cost less too, if you go for seasonal ones. The risk of diseases by microorganisms is less too, as plant diseases can’t infect humans. You can make-up for the lack of proteins by taking supplements. Spirulina supplements, produced by using the latest in biotech research, more than make up for it. And the side-effects are less too. As for the concerns of job losses, organic farming would employ a large population & generate revenue, from the field to your platter.

If you ever visit a slaughter house, you would turn a vegetarian for all your reincarnations. The unhygienic conditions, the way the animals are kept & worse, the actual slaughtering would give you a hard reality check. Check out the documentary EARTHLINGS for details on what actually goes on in these horrific places.

All animals, including fish, share the same & even more complex nervous system as we do. It is foolhardy to expect that they don’t feel fear & pain.

You cannot become a vegetarian overnight. It will take practice & will power. But, trust me, the effort is worth it. Both for you & the creatures who can't raise their voices.

“As long as there are slaughter houses, their will be battlefields”

opined Leo Tolstoy. The present scenario is proof of that fact.

Its time to make that change.

Written by MA Journalism student, University of Mysore, Karnataka

Murgesh Prem Kumar