Right to Life for Animals is a humanitarian imperative || Session at IIM-Ahmedabad (2020)

Acharya Prashant

‍♂️ Want to meet Acharya Prashant? Be a part of the Live Sessions: https://acharyaprashant.org/hi/enquir...   Want to read Acharya Prashant's Books? Get Free Delivery: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/books?...  ~~~~~~~  Video Information: 07.03.2020, IIM-Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad, Gujrat  Context: ~ Acharya Prashant at IIM-A  ~ Acharya Prashant returns to his alma-mater. ~ What is vegan movement? ~ Why should one turn vegan?  ~ What is the relationship between veganism and spirituality? ~ How veganism is related to compassion? ~ Why veganism is necessary for today's generation? ~ How could veganism change the world?   Music Credits: Milind Date ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .

Transcript

00:00So, from the videos that I have watched, I understand you are a strong veganism promoter.

00:08Now as institutes like IITs and IIMs and institutes which people look up to and get influenced

00:14and follow, what do you believe institutes like these should follow and promote?

00:20Do you also believe that institutes should promote veganism in your opinion?

00:24A technical institution, an institution that deals with science and technology, or an institution

00:36that is devoted to studies in management, obviously cannot have veganism on its agenda.

00:48At the same time, we are technocrats and managers later, first of all, we are living persons.

00:58We understand a few things, right?

01:01And from that understanding must come our code of ethics.

01:07We need not borrow it from somewhere and the code of ethics need not be institutionally enforced.

01:14But don't we understand, don't we look around, we know what is happening, we are all pretty

01:23literate and sophisticated people, we are conscious of data and if we look at the data,

01:33it is compelling enough and from there will come the incentive or the persuasiveness to

01:44go vegan and to promote veganism.

01:49It is not a cult, it is not a fad, it is a demand of the times we live in, right?

01:58And sooner than later, each one of us will have to ask ourselves, what business do we have exploiting animals?

02:12There was a time when it was alright for a human being to exploit a human being.

02:19Was there not a time, just a couple of centuries back and it was the norm and nobody questioned it, it was alright.

02:26The white man could exploit the black man with impunity, right?

02:35And there was a time when it was alright for men to dominate and exploit women, right?

02:43Till recently there were a few countries in which women did not have voting rights or

02:49equal protection of the law, could not even get driving license.

02:54And it was considered acceptable, it was normal.

03:00So just because a few things are normal doesn't mean that they are alright, they will change, correct?

03:09The rights that gays and transgenders enjoy today were unthinkable just half a century back.

03:23So we have had human rights, we have had equal rights to women, we have had equal rights to bisexuals, transgenders.

03:40Next you will see, we will have a situation where animals too will be accorded the right to life.

03:53That is going to be a historical imperative.

03:57Now we have to decide whether we want to be on the right side of history or not, otherwise it's alright.

04:05If we don't agree to something willingly, the tide of time will sweep us away.

04:12Even today there are people, for example, who would not quite agree to women being equal to men.

04:22But then you could call them dinosaurs as far as the progress of consciousness is concerned.

04:32You would say they are very primitive people, correct?

04:35Similarly, 50 years from now, if you are someone who will deny animals their basic right to life,

04:44you will find yourself being termed primitive by history.

04:51As young people, I suppose, we should know what the demand of time is.

05:00In the language of spirituality, that is called Kaladharma.

05:09We better apply ourselves to that and then these things will be very apparent.

05:15The two things that you mentioned, environmental activism and veganism, they are very closely related.

05:23If we are someone who cares for the environment, we cannot miss the fact that a huge bulk of

05:35carbon emission comes from animal agriculture.

05:42Because we cannot quit the flesh on our plate and because we cannot quit our dairy, that

05:50is leading to immense environmental and ecological damage.

05:56So being scientifically minded, being in possession of the facts, these things should matter to us.

06:04Irrespective of the institution we come from, it is not the job of the institutions to enforce such things.

06:11Institutions should actually be in a liberal sense enforcing nothing.

06:14We as individuals should be looking at these matters, we as young people should be looking

06:19at these matters and deciding on our own.

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