Friday, 25 August 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Adopting a vegan lifestyle is a choice that is currently embraced by many across the world but in Dehradun only a minority of individuals have adopted it. Many people claimed that being a vegan is a very difficult thing as they believe it lacks essential nutrients provided by milk, ghee and curd. Experts say that converting people from non-vegan to a vegan diet is difficult in Dehradun as compared to other cities. The popularity of dairy products in Uttarakhand makes it harder to promote veganism in the State, said a member of the Doon vegan group, Ankur Negi.
Commenting on becoming a vegan, local resident Paras Kumar said that for him it’s challenging to convert to a vegan diet that may lack essential nutrients necessary for the body to function properly. Apart from this, being a vegan can prove to be a little expensive as the dairy substitutes are not readily available everywhere and the ones that are available are often expensive, he added.
Another local resident Lata Binjola said, “Adopting a vegan diet does not seem logical to me. My family and I have grown up eating dairy products and meat. Most of the desserts prepared during festivals are made from dairy products like milk or ghee. It has been a lifestyle for many generations and we are fine with it.”
Negi told this correspondent, “We have acknowledged the challenges in persuading individuals to become vegan. Specifically in Dehradun, we have encountered difficulties in promoting veganism compared to other cities in the country.” Nevertheless, Negi emphasises that adopting a vegan lifestyle can have a positive impact on our overall well-being. Exploiting animals just for the sake for one’s benefit is cruel. He further said that transitioning to a vegan lifestyle is not as daunting as it may seem as there are numerous alternative vegan products readily available in the market.
