Meatless on mondays

Narayani Ganesh

Emilio Godoy in Tierramérica reports from Mexico City of the new “11th commandment” being promoted by the Meatless Monday movement, “Thou shalt not eat meat…at least one day a week.”

This is not about areligious injunction against killing (and consuming) of animals; nor is it inspired by save-the-animal activists.

The crisis that Mexico faces right now is a health crisis: obesity. With alarming rise in overweight children, diabetics and those suffering cardiovascular diseases, a public health movement is promoting balanced diet and to “reduce consumption of meat”.

The Mexican government is campaigning for a high-fibre diet and plain water in place of sweetened carbonated drinks.

In India, vegetarianism has tended to be a religious practice rather than as an essential part of holistic living that promotes not just better health but also helps reduce methane emissions and conserve precious water and grain — that is diverted to feeding animals reared expressly as meat-source, and that too in punishing conditions.

And turning vegetarian ought not to be all that difficult in a region where a mindboggling range of vegetarian fare is available. Whether you describe yourself as nonvegetarian, omnivore or eggetarian, your well-being — including in economic terms —would certainly improve once you convert to vegetarianism, say vegetarians, especially the recent converts.

Reportedly, in more than 23 countries, meatless diet is being actively endorsed by celebrities. Perhaps vegetarianism ought to be liberated from religion to reach a wider universe.