World Vegan Day: Activists urge citizens to adopt plant-based food

Members of Bengaluru Brigade for Animal Liberation (BBAL) held a demonstration at Church Street on Tuesday. DH Photo/B H Shivakumar

Nearly 40 members of Bengaluru Brigade for Animal Liberation (BBAL) held a demonstration at Church Street on ‘World Vegan Day’, exhorting people to adopt veganism.

While some passersby engaged and asked questions, some were quick to dismiss the idea. “The event aims to help people see animals as sentient beings rather than as commodities, and also to show how animals are exploited in different industries like meat, dairy and leather,” says Richa Annie Thomas, co-founder of BBAL.

“The idea is to project veganism as a social justice movement rather than a diet choice — it’s about the decisions people make and the suffering they cause to animals,” she added.

Amjor Chandran, a group member, said, “People don’t know that animals are subject to artificial insemination, slaughter of their young, etc. A plant-based diet is sufficient for nutrition. It’s unnecessary to use animals for food, clothing, entertainment or experiments.”

BBAL, which has nearly 400 members, is part of the nationwide ‘Vegan India Movement’.

Richa says the Bengaluru chapter has been growing since its launch in 2016. “Now, we see a lot more people asking genuine questions to understand the concept better. Also we see more vegans or those who are familiar with the idea.”

While youth make up the majority of BBAL, it also has a few middle-aged people. They frequently conduct outreach programmes, tasting events of vegan alternatives to meat, etc.

Some group members say they were introduced to veganism through research articles or talks, and joined BBAL over time.

Balaji, 30, a customer care executive, said he switched to veganism a year ago after attending a talk. "Six months ago, I came across BBAL on Church Street, and joined them so as to create awareness among people."