Shashwat Rao: The Vegan Ultra Runner (We're Talking 100km+)

Meet Shashwat Rao. He's no ordinary man. Unless you think running 170 km at one stretch (for kicks) is ordinary. Welcome to the God-honest-insane world of ultra running. I was introduced to Shashwat Rao when I went to watch local filmmaker Padmalatha Ravi's latest documentary Soul Run at Atta Galatta last month.

Soul Run gave us ordinary folk a look into the world of Ultra Running. The film tried to answer one simple question : what compels people to run distances that don't seem physically possible? Oh, and of course Shashwat is Vegan, another athlete that is a living demonstration of plant-powered awesomeness.

Shashwat was born in Bangalore, and did a bunch of his education in Madras and Indore. He came from a family that put education on the highest pedestal possible. 'Study, study, study' was the mantra in his household. Although, if given a chance Shashwat would have spent all his time playing cricket. He was a super shy kid growing up, so adolescence was not a hot time in his life.

When he was 25 he had a bit of an existential crises. He figured 'half his life was over' and up until then had been doing things ( like getting an engineering degree and an MBA) on auto-pilot. So what did he do in response to his crises?

'I sold my TV, computer, quit my cushy job, hopped on my motorbike and went around the country. I realized, India is a land of tremendous diversity. The cultural influences, dialects, cuisines, and even habits  changed every couple  hundred kilometers. Traversing the 29 states opened up my eyes. That's probably where the endurance element crept into my personality. Riding those long distances gave me a rich appreciation for the outdoors. It's a lesson no one can learn in any class or boardroom meeting.'

So of course I asked him a few more questions in my attempt to  understand how studious boy from Bangalore became an ultra runner. Let's get to it. 

Do you remember the first times you started running? What was the distance and what did you think about it? How did veganism factor in?

S.R: Yes, my first 'official run' was the TCS Bengaluru 10k in 2012. At the finish, my heart was beating so fast, I really thought I was in the middle of a heart attack. I had never run competitive earlier. Did nothing athletic. As a child, I struggled with asthma. If someone had told me back then (or even 5 years before) that people run these distances, I would have deemed them insane. As a young, reckless city-dweller, I quickly realized that my excess partying and general crappy lifestyle had taken a toll on my health - physically and mentally. I thought running was my only way to solve this. I was broke. I was on a pauper's diet. Simple rice and some raw veggies and fruits. So, it wasn't a conscious choice to turn vegan. There was no "Aha!" moment there. Slowly I realized that it was all I needed. I started reading more, questioning more. Two years ago, I went completely vegan and haven't looked back since. 

Let's talk a little more about ultra running. You've run distances that the average human can't even conceive. I learnt a little about Ultra running watching Padmalatha Ravi's  Soul Run.  How many runs have you completed?

S.R: Any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometres is an ultra marathon. Most ultras are run over technical, uneven terrain, with high elevation changes and inclement weather thrown in for good measure. For me, its a time to eat, be happy and revel in the outdoors. It's also a time to absorb what nature has to offer and meet amazing people. I have a bit of an aversion towards screens - be it TV screens, computers, mobile phones or what have you. Running ultras takes me outside, puts me out of my comfort zone and teaches me problem-solving, withstanding barriers of pain, and pursuing that elusive mindset of bliss. 

Here are a few of the Ultras I've completed:

Javadhu hills Ultra 2015- 50K,

 Run the Rann 2016 - 101K,

 The Spiti Run 2016- 168K,

 BTS Ultra, Indonesia 2016 - 170K,

 Malnad Ultra 2016 - 110 K,

 Chennai Trail marathon 2016 - 50K,

 Bengaluru 24 hour stadium run 2017 - 170K

You've run in altitudes where most runners experience hallucinations during their runs. Have you experienced this? Of course we want the details!

S.R: Honestly,  I find this hard to put in words. Altitude plays a major role in the physiological functioning in humans. At higher altitudes, the air is thinner and oxygen is lower compared to sea level. Improper acclimatization and physical exertion in such conditions are detrimental to one's health. One often feels nauseous and a headache is guaranteed. I think hallucinations are triggered by lack of sleep and calorie depletion. I felt like a zombie just trudging along aimlessly. Vision is usually blurred and the mind  plays tricks on you. Common objects like stones may take any other form and appear threatening. Once in Indonesia, I had an out of body experience. Like I could visualize  'tiny me' from up afar. Such memories are vague and often short-lived. I try to remain in the present. Accept the fact that the mind is wandering and focus on the controllable. One foot in front of the other.

Do people ask you a lot about your diet? Are people usually surprised (or just confused) when you tell them you are vegan? 

S.R: Not really. Food is so significant for everyone in equal measures. That's why people are strongly opinionated about it. We don't normally comply if people tell us to change our food habits, do we? But we observe, learn by example. Meeting one of my heroes, Scott Jurek was instrumental in my diet change. I studied, experimented with what I put into my system and analysed myself. Changes were gradual but certainly positive. For example, I feel fresh and light even after a 50K training run, ready for the next day. No muscle soreness or that heavy feeling you get after belting a plate of biriyani. I do not like to preach to others. I can only shine a light on this healthy path. I suggest people to give it a try and decide for themselves.

What are some of your favourite running sustenance foods? What would be an ideal-after run feast?

S.R: Hmm. There is a difference in running and racing. While I'm racing (pushing hard during events), I prefer sugary drinks, electrolytes, and simple carbs like bananas.  I love sodas too :-) Coke, Mountain Dew and such, but I would not recommend these to others. During training runs, its mostly Ragi powder, homemade energy bars (made of dry fruits) and nut butters. I find Jus' Amazin's range of products to be super tasty and calorie rich. Thank you, Shilpa for those samples. After running for so long, the body doesn't want to eat much anyway. There are many fancy recovery protein drinks, energy gels etc in the market - I can't afford those. Simple carbs and cold beverages are my choice ;-) and I'm not too fussy.

What does veganism mean to you? Does running and veganism intersect with a sense of spirituality for you?

S.R: Veganism is my choice. It's my little contribution to the world. I might have had the odd cup of tea and I have consumed honey. I'm not dogmatic in that sense. It's just a conscious choice to be the best, most authentic version of me and do my little bit for the planet. Spirituality, well thats an interesting perspective. Yes, running does have its spiritual connotations - as mentioned in various studies about the runners high, release of endorphins and the like. In that sense veganism enables me to pursue that state and live a holistic life.

What are the hardest mental and physical walls you've hit when ultra running?

Hitting a 'wall' is common. What makes ultra running unique is that you hit the 'wall', many times. There is always redemption around the corner. Physically, I have had severe cramps, external injuries, total calorie depletion, vomiting, crippling diarrhea, tendonitis and even broken bones. Then, there is that moment when you push through. You find reserves of strength you never knew existed. Physically, I experienced excruciating pain in the mountains. The skin on the soles of my feet were ripped and trashed. Single digit temperatures and persistent rain added to my woes. On seeing the sun rise, I reached light from a dark place - literally and figuratively. I experience a very challenging mental block on a recent 24 hour run around a 400 m track. No start line, no finish line, nobody to push you through - just you against the clock. After running 170kms, the high was unparalleled . All these experiences, I consider lessons. I have lofty goals, which I pursue relentlessly.

Does shashwat's life kind of inspire or at the very least keep you in a state of minor shock?

Check out his website to read about his runs. Oh and here are some books that have influenced him.

Shashwat Recommends

Eat and Run by Scott Jurek

Finding Ultra by Rich Roll

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Seeing the Sunrise by Justin Langer

Documentaries: Cowspiracy, Forks over Knives, What the Health

Banana Apple Walnut Cake (Vegan Of Course)

Howdy Kittens!

So today we have a no fail cake. This the go-to cake I make that usually garners generic but consistent responses such as, 'this is pretty good', ' I like this cake, rheea', 'nice cake'.

Of course all bakers dream of more nuanced replies, but it will have to do for now.

This is a tea cake that goes hella good with coffee/ tea and makes you feel like you are eating something vaguely healthy. Not really, but still.

I made a version for this last week for a dinner party and it was a winer item. Although I had omitted the apples in that one (you can too, just add another banana instead)

Here's What You Need

2 cups flour
1 banana
1 red apple
1/3rd cup oil ( I used olive)
1/2 cup soya mylk (or any other plant-based mylk like coconut, cashew or almond)
3/4th cup brown sugar (use white if you don't have it, but I recommend brown)
A pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 tablespoons cinnamon powder
3/4th cup broken walnuts
1 teaspoon baking soda
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
3/4th cup desiccated coconut (optional)



How to Make

First peel, core, and cut you apple into pieces. Blend into applesauce using your blender. Add some water to it so it blends well.

Fresh Applesauce

In a large bowl pour your apple sauce, oil, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in. Give it a good stir. Now add your banana in and start to mash it up real good. Once it's integrated well into the mix add your soya (or plant-based mylk) as well. Stir it up.

Pre-mashed banana

Using a sieve pour in your 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and soda. Add the coconut if you are using it and the walnuts. Blend well. It should be a thick but pourable batter. If it's too dry add a few tablespoons more of soya mylk until you have a nice cake batter consistency.

Let it look like this, kk?

Pre-heat oven to 180c. Pour batter into a loaf tin. Pop that baby in for 35-40 min. Check with a toothpick or knife to see if it's done in the middle. This cake takes a little more time to bake, so start doing check after 30 minutes or so.

Parchment Paper, so worth it cats

Let it cool. If you were smart you used parchment paper to line the loaf tin. After 30 min or so take out the cake. If you didn't use parchment paper, make sure you grease the pan well and then loosen the sides with a knife before popping the cake out.  Slice them up and offer it to people you like.

YAY! Where's the coffee?

Till then. Keep it kind. Keep it real.

No Bake 3 -Layer Chocolate Wonder Bars (Almost Raw and 100% Vegan)

Hello Hippos!

I was looking at all these raw brownies recipes on youtube today. And then I just got confused. Too many variations and I hate getting hung up on 'exact ingredients' for each recipe. So I was like, screw it, I am just going to do my own thing and see if it works. Unlike some of my 'oh, I'll just do it my way' experiments, this one came out spectacular. This one time, I tried making vegan macaroons. They were such a disaster and I never spoke about it publicly. Until today, and of course I am not going to digress and tell  how my 'macaroons' ended up being lumpy -sticky pieces of almond crap.

So these wonder bars are almost raw, technically you can't 'cook' anything or use anything processed. I did melt chocolate for one of the 3 layers in this bar. I also used desiccated coconut, which is kind of processed? But then raw diets include dehydrated fruits/vegetable too, so I mean don't quote me on this crap.

These babies have sweet-chocolaty taste, and are packed with nuts, dates, vanilla, and all sorts of good shit. No refined sugar and zero oil to boot. It's a fantastic new way to eat chocolate if you ask me.


Here's what you need

First Layer

1 cup oats
1/2 cup almonds
8-10 dates deseeded
4-5 tablespoons of coconut mylk/coconut cream


Second Layer

1/2 cup jaggery syrup
1/2 cup  cashews
3/4th cup desiccated coconut
1/4th cup pure cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
3-4 tablespoons coconut mylk
1 teaspoon salt


Third Layer

8-10 squares of vegan dark chocolate
3 tablespoons water
pinch of salt



How to Make

Dump your oats, dates, almonds, and coconut mylk into a blender or food processor. It might get tough to blend depending on your blender. Help it out by stirring it in between,  or adding a bit more coconut mylk. Once you've got it to be a squishy mix, scoop it onto a pan. Now press it with your hands to make as large a square as you can. Make sure to keep the layer at least 1-2 inches.

Squish-Squish

You're done with layer one!  Stick the pan into the freezer and get started on layer two.

In your blender/processor add cashews, jaggery syrup, coconut, vanilla, salt, cocoa powder and coconut mylk. Blend away till nice and thick. It should look like the picture below.

Take out layer one from the freezer. Plop layer two chocolate mix on top and even it out across the oats/almond layer. Use your hands. Don't be afraid. It'll be ok, promise.

Gave up on the knife and used my hands

Yay, so layer 2 is done. Pop it back into the freezer. Now go to your stove add your chocolate squares, water, and salt to a small pot. On a very low flame stir it up till it melts. This should happen fairly quickly. Remember salt lets the flavour of cocoa powder explode. It's so good. So give it a healthy pinch of salt. But do not ruin you life by putting too much either. Go with your inner voice.

That was fast

Now pop that pan out of your freezer and spread the final layer of chocolate sauce on top. You can garnish with more coconut or cacao nibs, or nuts, or whatever really. 

All done!

 Pop it into the freezer one final time and let it stay there for at least 40 minutes. 

SLURP

Take out and cut into squares. Enjoy with a glass of cold-ass almond or soy mylk. Conquer the day. You can do it. 

Keep it real. Keep it kind.

Fancy French Vegan Chocolate Croissants ( Cheating Method)

Sexy Chocolate Croissants

Ola Puppers!

During my pre-vegan days there was this one thing I always picked up from Au bon Pain in Bangalore. It was their Pain Au Chocolat (French makes everything sound fancy). Basically it's a chocolate croissant. The thing is Au Bon Pair is a fairly mediocre cafe with mostly underwhelming bakes, but this one thing was simple enough for me to like. What's not to like about flour, sugar, and chocolate after all?

Well the thing is croissants aren't the easiest thing to make. They require patience and and nimble hands. I don't possess these qualities. Of course I cheated big time. The required time to allow the dough to set, knead out, chill, and then actually get to baking them takes like 4-5 hours. Not me, no folks, I cheated the system and got my croissants just fine. Delicious floury croissants with a dark chocolate middle. So good with coffee.

My hand-held kneader. You can also just use hands.

We nix the butter and use virgin coconut oil instead. You'll ideally need a hand held dough kneader,  but you can probably do it with your hands. In fact I am pretty sure you can. It will be goopy, but it's worth it.

Here's what you need to make these vegan treats


3 cups flour (maida)
2 tablespoons salt
1/3rd cup sugar
7 tablespoons + 4 tablespoons  cold coconut oil (should be firm, stick your oil in the freezer for 15-20 min)
1 cup water
3.5 teaspoons bakers yeast
12 squares of vegan dark chocolate( I used Amul dark chocolate) chopped
3 tablespoons of a plant- based mylk (like soy) for 'washing' the dough on top for shine (optional)


How to Make

Warm up your cup of water (can't be too hot, just lukewarm) I recommend zapping it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Or else let it warm on the stove top and then cool it down so that you can stick your finger in without yelping. Add your spoons of bakers yeast to this and let it sit for 2-3 minutes.

Ok so first you get a big-ass bowl. Dump your flour, salt and sugar into it. Blend in with your hands.

Now, use your hands or a dough kneader (on slow speed) as you slowly pour in the water-yeast mix.  Add your tablespoons of firm coconut oil, this basically acts as a butter substitute on a texture level as well. The chunks of oil help create a flaky pastry.

Keep blending for a few minutes. You should have a sticky, stretchy mixture (thanks yeast!)
On a clean surface sprinkle 1/4th cup of plain flour all over and then work your dough. Fold it multiple times and stretch it out with your hands. Do this for about 7-8 minutes. The dough will feel a lot more workable by then. Now cover your dough in a bowl with a wet cloth and let it rest for at least an hour. Ideally you let it rise for 2 hours, but hell I am too impatient for that.

Goopy

After 1-2 hours, your dough would have risen a bit. Now knead the dough again, this time get your extra 4 tablespoons of firm (chilled) coconut oil, and spread a table spoon on rolled out dough, and then fold it up. Repeat that 4 times. Then you basically keep playing with the dough by folding it as many times as you like (like you would a piece of paper), rolling it out a bit, folding it again. After you've lost your mind doing this, pause and think about how well your efforts will pay off. very soon.


Technically you're supposed to now allow this dough to chill in the fridge for an hour. But I don't have time for that. So instead roll  it out one final time, got it all stretched out, and then you cut it in half. From there cut 4 inch strips from it.

Way Better (dough worked with after 1 hour)

Now take your crushed chocolate and put some in the centre and some more towards the bottom of your strip. Roll it up quick. Repeat that process for all your strips.

That's an example of the dough 'folded' keep rolling it out and folding it back till you want to cry

We're almost there!

Use a brush to dip in soy milk (or maple syrup, or jaggery syrup) and brush the tops of your rolled up dough. This is for shine and totally optional.

Pre-head your oven to 200c. Pop those babies in for 12 minutes. After that turn the heat down to 170 and let it bake for another 8-10 minutes.

All rolled up and ready for the oven

Let them cool for a few minutes. But do eat them warm. They are puffy-flaky pillows of joy. They are chocolate surprises that will make you a believer. Sort of.

Ta-Dah!

Will I get away making more baked goods by cheating time and fair baking protocol?  Only time will tell.

Keep it kind. Keep it real.

Cowvathi, Shasvathi, & The Indian Vegan Cheese Revolution

Shaswathi & Cowvathi

The world of online friendships can be scintillating. Shasvathi is one of those bright, authentic, big-hearted people that give you them happy-happy vibes even though you've never met them. Of course, she could also be a serial killer, but as you read her interview you'll be inclined to think otherwise. 

Shasvathi is the founder of Cowvathi a dairy alternative vegan start-up in Mumbai. Mainstream media has taught all of us that anything with a cow on it means quality dairy products, and that's precisely what Cowvathi is here to challenge. 

Dairy = sad cows. Happy cows support vegan alternatives.That's the truth, yo.  

This soon to be 26-year -old is originally from Chennai, but can't possibly think of a life outside Mumbai. She's been vegan for 4 years. Guess who actually nudged Shasvathi towards a vegan life? Her parents! Thought that vegan families were a myth in India? Read this!

The inspiration behind Shasvathi's vegan life. Her parents. 

I declare that her journey to being a vegan cheese entrepreneur was pre-destined. Shasvathi had a past career in advertising and was a legit, serious practitioner of Carnatic music. The one thing she never did? Step into the kitchen, even to make her own chai. She just didn't do it folks. So it's kind of ironic that she spends most of her time today experimenting and perfecting vegan cheese recipes. 

If you live in Mumbai, I highly (oh-so-highly) recommend you order from Cowvathi and see how magical dairy-free cheese can be. Meanwhile let's get to know more about Cowvathi.

Say OLA to Cowvathi. This girl likes her pasta

Tell us more about Cowvathi. What do you think she would cook for her current romantic interest for date night? 

Shasvathi Siva: Cowvathi is my partner is crime and dine. We cook, sing, and weave stories together. Cowvathi's  grandmother was just another commodity in the dairy industry, and had the worst possible life. Her daughter, Cowvathi's mom, managed to make a run for it and succeeded. She's told Cowvathi many a story about her grandmother's life. That is what drives Cowvathi to continuously find dairy and meat alternatives so she can save her kith and kin from a horrible life. Cowvathi, despite growing up listening to these stories, is the happiest kid in the block. She only wants to spread joy and happiness. Her aim is to tell a story through food, and not just a story.  What would she cook for a Date night? Well, she's a hardcore pasta and garlic bread lover.

Oh, guess this Cowvathi likes south indian food too

 When did you start experimenting in the kitchen with vegan cheese? Is there a story there?

Shasvathi Siva: When I went vegan 4 years ago, it was really hard to find dairy- alternatives. There was SoFit for milk, but I didn't fancy it much. I loved chai and curd rice, and I'd miss it regularly. Making it at home was a task as well, since I'd have to rely on my dad to make it every time.  I started to forget about all the things I craved for and lived without dairy alternatives.

But as time went by, I saw so many new alternatives enter the market. The more vegans I met, the more I realised there was a whole world of vegan alternatives and recipes out there. That's when I was first inspired to try making some of them myself. I started having chai again and realised that making vegan curd rice was actually really goddamn easy. 

When I'd tell friends about veganism, I realized how very easy it is in today's world to simply pick up alternatives. And I wanted to be a part of that and contribute to it. To PROVE that alternatives in India are easy to find and hence, there is no reason for one to rely on dairy/meat. I'm slightly more biased towards dairy alternatives since I've never tasted meat and haven't ventured too much into the mock meat area either. 

I made cheese one day (after three months of failed attempts and frustration), and it turned out pretty well. I've always wanted to launch Cowvathi into the vegan market one way or the other, and the fact that that cheese was the least available product in the  Indian market propelled me towards creating a line of dairy-free cheeses. I practised the recipe many times, and after a few tasting sessions, my confidence improved. That's how this all started.

The Cowvathi Range of Dairy-Free Cheeses ( MOOOOOO)

So what's the deal with vegan cheese? Do you think it's something that has a life of its own in terms of what it can used for today? Do you think its doomed to always be compared with dairy cheese?

Shasvathi Siva: I think vegan cheese is here to stay. I hope I'm able to deliver across the country soon enough. 

I actually love it when someone asks me if my products are made from dairy - because of the cow (Cowvathi the mascot). That's when I have the opportunity to tell them it's not dairy because the cow in this picture is smiling. You know why the cow is smiling? Because her products are not used in this. Had I used dairy, the cow would be terribly sad  and definitely NOT smiling. It's a great conversation starter for me. I've also had some people call me thinking my cheese is a dairy product, and then I explain, and they've ordered it straight out of curiosity! And these people loved the product too! 

Cowvathi Endorses Her Products

When did you think that you could roll out an actual business? What are your thoughts on vegan enterprises right now in urban India?

Shasvathi Siva: Like i said, I always wanted to build a brand on the name Cowvathi, but I thought my products would revolve around vegan cupcakes/milk-alternatives etc. The decision to make cheese the hero product was only  2-3 months ago. 

I'm in awe of all vegan enterprises. It takes a great deal of courage and determination, considering how tiny the community actually is. But people are definitely waking up, the growth of veganism is on an upward swing and I am super thrilled to see where we are headed. 

Mumbai, GET ON THIS!

6. What's the biggest myth about veganism that you think most people still believe today?

Shasvathi Siva: That it's impossible.

 Wave your compassion card, when it comes to dairy most of India does not perceive it to be a cruel industry. Can you sum up your stance on the problem with our dairy consumption in a few sentences?

Shasvathi Siva: We are a dairy obsessed country. And I will not blame the people for it. We've been conditioned to believe we NEED dairy. To that extent, we've been conditioned to believe that vegetarians are not harming any cows. It is so difficult to break people out of these beliefs they've grown up hearing. Be it the masala chai on the road, or the cheese on the pizzas. Advertising has brought us to a point where dairy is a part of every restaurant, and every household. Unfortunately, the most natural reaction for most is to shut out information that will alter their way of living.As humans, we  are weary of change. 

Shasvathi is here to stay

8. If you had to pick one kind of cheese flavour from Cowvathi's range, and only eat that  for a year, which one would it be? And why?

Shasvathi Siva: I'd love to say Mozzarella because that was my first experiment. But now that I make cheese everyday, even the smell of it is repelling (DAMMMNN) :P 

Has Shasvathi inspired you to start your own business? Are you inclined to try dairy-alternatives and see where this adventure leads you? Give Cowvathi a shout out and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! We all have a part in working towards a more compassionate future. The act of supporting local vegan business no mater what your consumption habits are, can help make major change. 

Compassion Fail: How Militancy Hurts Veganism

In 1971, Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, conducted one of the most controversial psychological experiments that's fairly-well known as The Stanford Prison Experiment.

You can revisit the details of this now famous experiment here. This experiment was pivotal in our contemporary understanding of power. Power corrupts, and this experiment showed how abominably true this is among people.

This experiment was also illustrative of the way conformity or a cultural idea of a 'norm' can keep us from speaking up even when we know something is obviously wrong. The simple matter of sounding like an outsider or saying something no one else is acknowledging feels like a heavier burden than simply staying quiet and doing your thing like everybody else.

Critical Mass and Social Justice

Many social justice movements started with only a few loud voices that were passed on through generations until they ripened into a critical mass, which then had better resources, social credibility, and pathways to massage their manifestos into a society that would be a tad more receptive.

While a plethora of issues still circle around us, from war crimes, to poverty,  patriarchy, and child labour,  just to name a few, most of us can feel comfortable in taking a fierce position against these commonly accepted ills, at least in opinion.

A large majority of the world will agree that slavery is bad. Rape is bad. Child abuse is bad. This opinion has been formed, crystallized, and transmitted in different ways throughout history, and its conformity stems from its social acceptability and the fact that people want to feel ‘good’ about themselves.

So, in theory, we’d say we like the idea of fair wages and safe working conditions for all factory workers. Everyday though, we consume from a market so complex that we have no idea where our clothes and goods are coming from and frankly don’t have the headspace to think about the working conditions and wages of the people who made them.

If you’re wondering what any of this has to do with vegan militancy, let’s get into it. Let's call these type of vegans purists from here on end.

Militancy in Action

This past week I witnessed a couple of vegan purists who started bashing a person on fb because he questioned veganism on intellectual, philosophical and marxist stances. There were some merit in the questions he asked though I didn’t agree with many of his points. That said, all his questions were respectful (although unrelenting). But these vegans could not go past the same rhetoric of accusing him of being a mass murder. Once they calculated that this person would not ‘change’, then they started to  insult his looks, insult his regional roots, cursed his mother and father, and downright bullied him with homophobic slurs. Their justification? What does language matter when the animals are suffering? When I commented, telling them they were hurting the movement, they pounced back with the ‘oh but you are a vegan apologist’ and did everything they could (Which was limited to one tedious rhetoric) to discredit me. Even though I am ‘vegan’ myself.

Of course after chuckling at the absurd logic of it all, I started thinking it through a bit. So not only were they ok to go against every value they stood for when it came to animals, but they thought their oppressive bullying was justified when it came to humans.

This cheesy message brought to you by good old Dr Seuss. Although, did you know he was kind of a big-ass racist himself?

I’d go on to say, the more fundamentalist you are the less the cause's scalability matters to you. It’s the idea of being in the ‘right’ or having the ‘authority’ of what is right that attracts this kind of rhetoric. And it’s downright dangerous in any movement.

The sad thing is that vegans are a tiny part of our population. And in that very tiny population, only a small minority of these people resort to dogma. But they are the loudest and they are voices that get imprinted on the rest of the world. Making the rest of us prone to insensitive jokes and silly questions from the rest of the world about our ethical choices.

The Legitimate Need for Awareness

Again, I am betting that most people reading this don’t like the idea that meat and dairy today come from animals that are literally tortured and kept in unfathomable conditions. We don’t want to acknowledge the fact that like the west, factory farming is becoming a reality. Today, we’d rather not know, because knowing gives us the burden of doing something about it, and doing something in this era means doing something absurd like going vegan, right?

Awareness about the absolute truth is what vegans advocate for, and yes awareness is needed. But the core of the vegan activist framework calculates your compassion through one metric. If you care about the horrendous (and growing) reality of animal conditions and practices, then you're going to have to go vegan. Get on it now or else you are an compassion-hating douchebag, especially if you’ve seen the youtube videos. 

This weekend, I’ve been reading my favourite vegan activist’s new book, How to Create a Vegan World - A pragmatic Approach. Tobias Leenaert has been a vegan advocate for almost 20 years (20 years!) but he remains controversial in some vegan circles. The vegan purists can’t wait to slay and accuse him of being a vegan apologist. Purists send him hate mail accusing him of holding no integrity to the cause and pandering to the ‘non-vegans’.

His book basically aligns with my own approach to veganism, what it should mean to all of us, and how we all can start doing something about it. If you read the book you'll find one recurring theme, which is if we start to appreciate smaller changes and relax the understanding of what it means to be vegan, we’ll have far more impact and be able to create sustained behaviour changes that will lead to a much better world when it comes to animal rights.

Like I have suggested, it's the purists that are doing the movement a great injustice by relying on self-righteous ways of getting people to care. What do we know about fundamentalists in general? Let’s take quick stock:

1. They are rigid and married to a narrow perspective idea of the world and how it ought to be
2. They will reason, intellectualise, and proselytise their belief in depth to the public but when challenged or questioned, they resort to name calling, guilt-tripping, character assassination, and ad hominem responses.
3. They rely on manipulating emotions in order to reinforce their ideas. If you fail to ‘act’ accordingly they will dismiss or discredit you
4. They feed off each other, eroding their own personal values, and resort to abuse if their attempt to discredit an alternative view challenges them beyond their prescribed rhetoric

There is a reason for fundamental thought and ideology to thrive. No matter what the cause is, most fundamental ways of looking at things make it exclusive. Exclusivity has a social charm. Unfortunately that charm is a perception of power. Vegan fundamentalism holds tight to its moral authority, then uses it potently to dismiss you if you can’t get on board.

Militant Conversion Works (But Poorly)

Because humans are a diverse lot, we’ll always have a certain section of society receptive to one kind of solution. One part of the population will always see merit in it, have the temperament for it, or simply be wired to see how a particular idea seems easy or logical.

This is why vegan activism using traditional methods (graphic images, telling people we are raping cows, using animals as objects etc) will absolutely convert some people. But for the masses, these techniques simply won't work. If veganism was as simple as showing the world how terrible our system is at the moment, then we’d have millions and millions of vegans all over the place. So what’s the problem here? For every few people that are converted through this measure, many more people will actually be repelled by veganism because the only memory of the term they will take home is that they are personally responsible for this mess and that they are inhumane for not making the change.

Then they are thrown right back into the normal world where no one is making a fuss over this, and will thrive in the safety of this cocoon. Their dissonance with veganism meanwhile, has just increased. It's largely evident that a single-solution doesn’t work, because we are human, and humans are complex creatures that love to feel comfortable.

I’d argue that when we live in such capitalistic times, it’s really hard to see the multitude of ways we are supporting animal abuse from agricultural farming, animal testing and of course,the meat and dairy industry. Any large dairy or meat company will jump on any chance to serve vegan customers if they see a critical mass ( just 3% of the Indian population would present a huge market opportunity, a percentage that we are very very far from) which means that simply ‘going vegan’ will not stop big industries from exploiting animals, they will simply push forward new products to serve vegans.

This is already happening in the West where dairy companies are selling almond mylk because it’s profitable and there's a significant population that are either vegan, lactose intolerant, or weary of milk products (but eat meat).

Vegan ice-cream from a company that will always make profits from dairy

Hypothetically, if more vegans cropped up, we’d buy a bunch of vegan products from non-vegan establishments because, hello, accessibility!  At the same time, the constant demand for regular non-vegan products by the rest of the populace would ensure that these product manufacturers would do nothing on the grand scale to reduce their exploitation of animals.

We could, of course, then nix everything: be the hippie, anti-capitalist, anti-big industry, anti-consumerist and make everything at home. But then we wouldn't have the numbers and most people would never switch because it wouldn’t be a realistic way of living.

In fact I advocate (right now) for vegans buying ‘accidentally’ vegan products from non-vegan companies like Amul (dark chocolate), Oreos etc, just so people can see that there are plenty of ‘vegan’ foods out there. Companies won’t advertise them as vegan because they don’t have a big enough market to make the effort. So at the cost of making a concession, I think that the more accessible and easy it is for people to find vegan products that give them the comforts and satiety they are used to, the more likely people are to consider veganism, or at the least, reductionism. The issue of the market and its eventual ironies will emerge no matter what.

Get your hands on this

In this era, getting people to think about a ‘vegan world’ shouldn't be limited to demanding people change their lifestyle. I'd rather encourage people to deconstruct the merits of our moral foundations: why are we making such mindless choices when we know sentient beings are suffering in ways that would make you sit in a corner and sob till sundown?

Going vegan isn't something that will happen en masse or suddenly, given the way we do things at scale. But thinking about it? Acknowledging the problem? Trying to see where our own inconsistencies lie, talking to our children about the fact that we all ‘feed ourselves a little bit of bullshit everyday’? These things are for everyone. These things are essential to set up the scaffolding for an era where we can start to manage the damage we’ve done.

My objective is to move the needle - how do we start to work on this effectively in this lifetime? We can’t solve it, but we can be productive about it.

Slow Opinions & Fast Morals

How to Create a Vegan World talks about the value of ‘slow opinions’ in a world that tells you to make fast judgments. Sometimes it’s best to let one idea develop in your head and see it from many angles before making a complete decision. When related to veganism, we must acknowledge that there are many core challenges in the system, and even if someone is very compelled by the vegan perspective, it may take a whole lot of time for the person to see how they best fit in this narrative. The answer is not always going vegan.  But it could mean other amazing things like: reducing consumption in a huge way and openly telling people they have reduced their consumption (which makes more people responsive to smaller changes themselves). It might mean someone investing money in vegan ideas and products. It might mean someone making executive decisions on where their meat is sourced from (and yes, we can’t be moral absolutes in a time like this, some action now rather than none sets up the world for much larger impact). Over time, small changes might lead a person to go vegetarian or vegan after years. The value of the slow opinion is unsurmountable and critical to creating a world that doesn’t depend on animal life for our everyday.

Social media and politics in the age of Trump and Modi illustrate how divisive we can be. How our allegiance to one political agenda often results in us taking sides to more conservative or liberal ideas accordingly. This means we’re not taking the time to see the massive gaping holes in our preferred ideology as well. Why do you think I can be vociferous with my liberal opinions when it comes to politics on the internet? It's because there is a critical mass of people who think along the same lines as I do when it comes to human issues, because people are responsive to thinking further on things that already matter to them.  Even when you have a critical mass that cheers your solution-driven opinions,  you have big time risks of contradicting your own values. So no matter where you are when it comes to animal rights, remember that your thoughts on the issue can always evolve, and that evolution relies on constant engagement and awareness.

Most Of Us Care. We're Limiting Engagement By Giving An All Or Nothing Verdict

Like I’ve mentioned before, humans want a better world. Despite our differences, despite our diverse life experiences and circumstances. We want better. But vegans can limit engagement by asking for an all or nothing approach.

In fact many vegan purists think that the job is over when they get people to become vegan. Leenaert mentions in his book that in the U.S.A 84% of people who went vegetarian or vegan go back to their original diet. Why is that? Most possibly because the main driving force of vegan propaganda is to make a quick change based on quick moral judgement.

Purists might have created the idea that you don’t count unless you are invested in being vegan. I see it otherwise, I see you as much in this story. Got social privilege? Then you can do something, even if it’s talking about the issue, educating yourself more about it, or making a new trackable change. And this brings me to the social privilege.

Social Privilege Counts

I am writing this today because of many (often unaccounted) social privileges. I have an education, the ability to read, research, and formulate my thoughts in English. I have the health and the time to think,watch, read, and not worry about critical emergencies. I live in an urban city with access to supermarkets, healthcare, housing, and a reliable amount of money to spend. I have a ton more, but if you are reading this, suffice to say you probably have a lot of the same social privileges as well.

Those who have social privilege have the onus of making ground change. We have the onus to be the most informed.

Veganism in its current format makes no sense being applied to the rest of the world straight up. There are common sense reasons for this: accessibility to veganism’s  language of choice- English, accessibility to information,accessibility to widespread substitutes, and a wide variety of human rights issues.

This not to say that animal rights is not a worthy enough cause to be given priority. In fact I think the very opposite, the day humans all over understand the value of animal life, I can go out on a limb to say that we would have also come to terms with a lot of our human oppressions. I believe all oppressions intersect and carry stories of our ability to turn our heads away when it is most convenient to us. When we can turn our heads away so easily at a system of oppression that allows for such torture every single day as we lead our ‘normal’ lives, is it so hard to make the leap and see why so many other oppressions exist as well?

Kids are far more intelligent and receptive to our adult contradictions. It's far more effective to talk about our human failures early on and acknowledge that we are a part of it. Kids make these connections faster than we do (imho)

There is value in being overwhelmed with the world and slowly finding new answers every day. My own journey towards adopting a vegan lifestyle took an entire decade. And I very much think that I will stick to it because it came from a long process of self-evaluation. The path to a more compassionate world is not simple, rigid, or short.

This is why thought leaders like Leenaert will be highlighted in later years with profound appreciation. It's precisely why vegans who think of the movement holistically and inclusively need to speak up more. This is why non-vegans shouldn't feel threatened, weird, or embarrassed to engage with the vegan movement in other ways- whatever way that is. We want to work with you. At least I do. Any movement is shortsighted without new perspective and unexpected helping hands. We’re specks in this grand old mystery called the universe. We’ll need all of us to get to that better world. Jump on and keep moving.

Did this essay resonate? Read my previous blog that talks about the problem of singular solutions: I am Vegan But Veganism Is Inconsistent and Arbitrary.

I highly recommend anyone who found this essay compelling to buy How to Create a Vegan World. It talks in the most inclusive and intelligent ways about the issue and how we are all capable of working through this problem in tangible, effective and most importantly inclusive ways. Tobias Lennaert has been at this for 20 years and his perspective and empathy is riveting. Buy it on amazon .