- To be attired like Krishna with cow
- Dairy-free Dahi-Handi
Nagpur: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India and People for Animals (PFA) supporters were in Nagpur to take part in a vegan Dahi Handi celebration on account of Janmashtami to encourage Krishna devotees to be kind to cows by leaving dairy foods out of their celebrations, too. As part of the PETA and PFA celebration, a “cow” holding a placard reading, “Save Krishna’s Cows: Go Dairy-Free”, stood next to a human pyramid—which a PETA supporter dressed as Lord Krishna to climb up to bring down a vegan Dahi Handi.
The event was held on Friday, 4 September, at 12 noon, in front of the Gandhi statue, Variety Square, Sitabuldi, Nagpur
“Caring people can henceforth celebrate Lord Krishna’s love for cows by refusing to support the dairy industry’s cruelty”, said PETA India Chief Executive Officer Poorva Joshipura, adding, “It’s vital for people who love cows and other animals to understand that the dairy industry supports the beef and veal industry.”
According to a press release issued by PETA, India is the world’s largest milk producer. To meet the production demand, small family farms are being replaced with cruel factory farms. As documented by PETA –whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat” – cows and buffalo on dairy factory farms spend most of their days confined to tiny stalls. Many farmers inject them with the drug oxytocin, believing that it will boost milk production. Animals injected with oxytocin often suffer from severe stomach cramps that are similar to labour pains. Calves on dairy factory farms are either abandoned or sent to slaughter so that the milk meant for them can be sold to humans. And because there are no cattle bred specifically for beef or veal (meat from baby cattle) in India, the dairy industry is a major supplier of cattle to the beef industry, making India the world’s number one beef exporter. India exported 2.4 million tonnes of beef and veal in financial year 2015.
