Veganism: Neither cult nor fad, but an imperative of our times || Session at IIM-Ahmedabad (2020)

Acharya Prashant

Video Information: 07.03.2020, IIM-Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad, Gujrat  Context: ~ Acharya Prashant at IIM-A  ~ Acharya Prashant returns to his alma-mater. ~ What is vegan movement? ~ Why should one turn vegan?  ~ What is the relationship between veganism and spirituality? ~ How veganism is related to compassion? ~ Why veganism is necessary for today's generation? ~ How could veganism change the world?   Music Credits: Milind Date ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .

Transcript

00:00So, from the videos that I have watched, I understand you are a strong veganism promoter.

00:08Now as institutes like IITs and IIMs and institutes which people look up to and get influenced

00:14and follow, what do you believe institutes like these should follow and promote?

00:20Do you also believe that institutes should promote veganism in Europe?

00:24No, I mean a technical institution, an institution that deals with science and technology, or

00:35an institution that is devoted to studies in management, obviously cannot have veganism

00:42on its agenda.

00:48At the same time, we are technocrats and managers later, first of all, we are living persons.

00:58We understand a few things, right?

01:01And from that understanding must come our code of ethics.

01:07We need not borrow it from somewhere and the code of ethics need not be institutionally

01:13enforced.

01:14But don't we understand?

01:16Don't we look around, we know what is happening, we are all pretty literate and sophisticated

01:25people, we are conscious of data and if we look at the data, it is compelling enough.

01:36And from there will come the incentive or the persuasiveness to go vegan and to promote

01:46veganism.

01:49It is not a cult, it is not a fad, it is a demand of the times we live in, right?

01:58And sooner than later, each one of us will have to ask ourselves, what business do we

02:08have exploiting animals?

02:12There was a time when it was alright for a human being to exploit a human being.

02:19Was there not a time, just a couple of centuries back and it was the norm and nobody questioned

02:24it.

02:25It was alright.

02:26The white man could exploit the black man with impunity, right?

02:35And there was a time when it was alright for men to dominate and exploit women, right?

02:43Till recently there were a few countries in which women did not have voting rights or

02:49equal protection of the law, could not even get driving license.

02:55And it was considered acceptable, it was normal.

03:00So just because a few things are normal doesn't mean that they are alright, they will change,

03:07correct?

03:09The rights that gays and transgenders enjoy today were unthinkable just half a century

03:21back.

03:23So we have had human rights, we have had equal rights to women, we have had equal rights

03:35to bisexuals, transgenders.

03:40Next you will see, we will have a situation where animals too will be accorded the right

03:50to life.

03:53That is going to be a historical imperative.

03:57Now we have to decide whether we want to be on the right side of history or not.

04:03Otherwise it's alright, I mean, if we don't agree to something willingly, the tide of

04:10time will sweep us away.

04:12Even today there are people, for example, who would not quite agree to women being equal

04:20to men.

04:21But then you could call them dinosaurs as far as the progress of consciousness is concerned.

04:32You would say, they are very primitive people, correct?

04:35Similarly, 50 years from now, if you are someone who will deny animals their basic right to

04:43life, you will find yourself being termed primitive by history.

04:51As young people, I suppose, we should know what the demand of time is, in the language

05:01of spirituality, that is called Kaladharma, we better apply ourselves to that.

05:12And then these things will be very apparent, the two things that you mentioned, environmental

05:18activism and veganism, they are very closely related.

05:23If we are someone who cares for the environment, we cannot miss the fact that a huge bulk of

05:35carbon emission comes from animal agriculture.

05:42Because we cannot quit the flesh on our plate and because we cannot quit our dairy, that

05:50is leading to immense environmental and ecological damage.

05:56So being scientifically minded, being in possession of the facts, these things should matter to us.

06:04Irrespective of the institution we come from, it is not the job of the institutions to enforce

06:09such things.

06:11Institutions should actually be, in a liberal sense, enforcing nothing.

06:15We as individuals should be looking at these matters, we as young people should be looking

06:19at these matters and deciding on our own.

Category

Transcript

Recommended