Violence on our plate

The August edition of the Bangalore Freethinkers meet happened on the 30th of August 2015 at the National Gallery of Modern Art. I reached the venue earlier than usual, but still later than the scheduled time. I rechecked the fb event to be sure I’m at the correct place and if anyone where coming. Soon enough some familiar faces as well as a couple of new faces turned up. We commenced the proceeding with the customary introductions before diving right into the decided topic for discussion. The topic for discussion was: Violence versus Cruelty in what we eat.

Initial opening remarks set the context. The debate was about selective outrage when it comes to killing animals or sentient beings. Violence or exploitation is directly or indirectly involved in almost everything we consume. The discussion was steered to how as an individual one can make a difference in reducing the suffering of living things even if it is not a visible difference. Systemic changes would require greater effort and time but as individuals we can strive to live in a manner that causes the least amount of harm possible. The hypocrisy of religious groups that prevent one form of harm to an animal while exploiting it in a different manner (Referring the holy cow) also came up during the conversation.

It always enriches a discussion when you have people who know what they are talking about. On this occasion we happened to have two vegans. They shared a couple of documentaries showing how animals reared in dairy, poultry and meat industries are treated. They also were well informed and had some startling numbers and facts to share about global warming and how livestock contribute towards it. They shared a booklet that could guide a non-vegan into a vegan lifestyle.

The next scheduled meeting is on 27th of September. The topic has not been selected yet.