PETA India Animal Times Summer 2020

The Vegan Buzz

© iStock.com/proxyminder

PETA India has been hard at work promoting, awarding, and encouraging vegan eating and enterprises that protect animals, human health, and the environment. We’ve had some big successes, and we’re not too modest to brag about it.

A Message From Dr Manilal Valliyate PETA India , s Chief Executive Officer

© PETA India

Dear Animal Times Reader,

become a global leader in the struggle for animal rights on many fronts.

Sunil Chhetri and Manushi Chhillar Crowned ‘Hottest Vegetarians’

And the ‘Most Vegan-Friendly City’ Is … Hyderabad!

When PETA India founder Ingrid Newkirk was growing up in India more decades ago than she would thank me for divulging, some of her most vivid memories were of the gentle cows and bulls who remain intricately woven into the fabric of Indian life to this day. She recalls seeing cows standing in doorways, placidly watching their families go about their daily chores, and bulls wandering the dusty streets wearing garlands of flowers placed around their necks as a symbol of respect. These animals’ lives were not easy then, and they still aren’t – for instance, many continue to toil long hours hauling heavy loads in the searing heat. Nevertheless, she was taken aback when she returned 20 years ago with a videographer and a veterinarian to document the treatment of cows and bulls on the long road to slaughter. She was dismayed by the heavy toll that Western influence had taken on India’s once-sacred animals, which included beating them, twisting and breaking their tails, and rubbing chilli peppers into their eyes, among other horrors. The unforgettable footage captured during that groundbreaking investigation into India’s illicit leather trade sent shockwaves around the world and inspired Ingrid to found PETA India. She knew that if Indians could see that they were unintentionally contributing to cruelty to animals, they would make changes. And she was right. Since PETA India was formed in 2000, we have achieved unprecedented victories and helped India

India was among the first countries to ban animal testing for cosmetics as well as the import of animal-tested cosmetics. PETA India and our affiliates have achieved enormous progress for Ingrid’s beloved cows and bulls, too – helping persuade clothing companies around the world to use vegan materials instead of leather, exposing and stopping cruel bullock cart races, and replacing the use of bullocks with humane and efficient tractors for hauling sugarcane, kerosene, and other goods. After 20 years, we’re just getting started, and with your support, we’ll keep working to preserve Gandhi’s legacy of respect and reverence for animals for the next 20 years and beyond.

Former Miss World Manushi Chhillar ’s beauty isn’t just skin deep. PETA India’s “Hottest Vegetarian” demonstrates her

Hyderabad is leading the way in healthy, animal- and eco-friendly living, earning it PETA India’s “Most Vegan-Friendly City” Award. Popular places such as The Terrassen Café and the city’s first all-vegan store,

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compassion by eating only fruits, vegetables, grains, and other vegetarian foods to save animals while staying fit and healthy. Sunil Chhetri – India’s highest scoring footballer – earned PETA India’s “Hottest Vegetarian” title for deciding not to eat any more animal flesh, eggs, or milk. He credits animal-free

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Plantarium, keep caring customers coming back.

Frozera’s delivery ice cream and sweet treats from Cookie Queen and The Lush Glaze tempt taste buds. Smart Alec Alternative

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Deli offers fresh vegan fare and a play area for companion animals. And groups like Hyderabad Vegans organise potlucks and other fun events.

Map locator: © iStock.com/VladSt • Hyderabad silhouettes: © iStock.com/Yurkaimmortal

foods with improving his digestion and recovery time, and since going vegan, he says, “I feel as healthy as I will ever be.”

Since PETA India was formed in 2000, we

For all animals,

Living vegan gets easier (and more delicious) all the time: from vegan cheese, pizza, ice cream, curd, burgers, and “meats” to whole vegan restaurants and cookbooks, animal free food has never been PETA India , Food Awards

s Vegan

Pamela Anderson’s Vegan Plea to Prime Minister Modi

Dr Manilal Valliyate

have achieved unprecedented victories and helped India become a global leader in the struggle for animal rights on many fronts.

India has a special place in Pamela Anderson ’s heart – she adopted her beloved dog Pyari off the streets of

Mumbai – which is why the PETA US honorary director penned a letter to vegetarian Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to serve vegan food at government events to help curb climate change, which is wreaking havoc in the country. She pointed to India’s rich agricultural history of environmentally friendly foods, such as pulses and soy, for easy alternatives to destructive, animal-derived ones. ©

more accessible and delectable in India. Winners of PETA India’s Vegan Food Awards include GoodDot , GoodDot Fried Crispies Gurber

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PizzaExpress , Papacream , Nutriva , Vezlay , Goodmylk , Rare Earth , and Bombay Cheese Company . Visit PETAIndia.com to read the full list and learn more.

Our investigation into bullock cart racing revealed bullocks were pulled by their nose ropes, dragged, and beaten with nail-studded sticks. The Supreme Court has now banned such races, and PETA India has prevented more than 100 illegal events, sparing numerous bulls a great deal of torment. COURT RULING VICTORY!

PETA INDIA’S ANIMAL TIMES ® Volume 19, Number 2

All portions of this publication not accompanied by the © symbol are not copyrighted and may be reproduced freely. PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS (PETA) INDIA PO Box 28260, Juhu, Mumbai 400 049 (022) 4072 7382 • (022) 2636 7383 (fax) Info@petaindia.org • PETAIndia.com

Editor: Ingrid E Newkirk Chief Executive Officer: Dr Manilal Valliyate Senior Editor: Roxanne Conwell Associate Editor: Alisa Mullins Copy Editors: Karen Porreca • Teresa K Miller

PETA India launched a nationwide billboard campaign pointing out that cows’ milk should be labelled with the non-vegetarian brown dot because the animals who produce it are often killed for their flesh.