Many people in the city have given up consuming all products derived from animals, including dairy products. It might seem hard given the many dairy-heavy Indian cuisines, but it is easy, claim the city's vegans. "If you have made a connection to all animals, its difficult to see them as food," said Himani Shetty who became a vegetarian 11 years ago and a vegan four years ago. Today there are more than a thousand people on the Vegan Mumbai group on Facebook. The online group started with 50 to 60 members five years ago.
The group has more than 200 active members today, who fall into one of two categories: ethical vegans and health vegans. Shetty identifies as an ethical vegan; that is, besides keeping dietary restrictions, she does not use clothing or accessories derived from animal products. "I used to be an avid animal lover who ate chicken, but my friend pointed out that I was being selective, as food animals were animals too. I gave up not only non-vegetarian food, but also my silk sarees and pearls," said the activist and co-founder of ourfoodprint.com. Shetty makes milk from nuts and also makes yogurt, cheese and chaas from that milk.
The group meets once in two months and organises potluck parties. Their other activities include recipe-based workshops, cooking demonstrations, hiking, trekking and visiting restaurants. They also share health and environmental research and study material with each other and organise demonstrations to promote the vegan lifestyle. Most of them also frequent the farmers' market. The group boasts of vegan caterers, bakers, bodybuilders and more.
"I have read a survey where the country with the highest number of osteoporosis cases was also the highest dairy consumer. Any milk from animals or humans contains casein, a protein which also results in milk addiction. Animal milk is acidic and it causes more problems than it solves. People think its hard to be a vegan but in India its not," said 27-year-old Chidanand Hiremath. He is a freelance graphic designer and photographer who recently also did the skyscraper marathon challenge. He said he became a vegan for ethical reasons.
Dr. Rupa Shah, who became a health vegan to fulfill her curiosity, advocates the vegan diet to all her patients. "I attended a seminar given by an NGO in which I learned about the reversal of lifestyle diseases through a vegan diet. I decided to try it myself and gave up dairy products for 30 days. The migraines and headaches I had for 18 years disappeared and have not returned in the past six years. I lost six kilos and my energy levels improved. That's when I decided to share this knowledge with others," said Shah.
Trying to bust myths surrounding the vegan lifestyle, Amit Mehta started a vegan dietary supplement company, which, he claims, is the only one of its kind in India. "People think that vegan people are not healthy. We get the same protein and vitamins as anybody through plant-based nutrition. Some of the top athletes in the world today are vegan," said 32-year-old Mehta who turned vegan five years ago.
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