Indian Members of Parliament Go Vegan On World Environment Day 2021

7 June 2021

Several Members of Parliament (MP) in India took a pledge to eat plant-based on World Environment Day, 5 June 2021 as part of PETA India's Environment Day campaign. These MPs belonged to different parties and took this initiative to highlight individual power and responsibility in preventing further damage to the planet.

This endeavor by Indian Members of Parliament reflects a similar pledge to eat vegan taken by MPs in the UK on Earth Day in April 2021.

The MPs who took the pledge included Maneka Gandhi, Member of Parliament from Pilibhit; Shafiqur Rahman Barq, Member of Parliament from Sambhal; Bellana Chandra Sekhar, Member of Parliament from Vizianagaram; Ajay Bhatt, Member of Parliament from Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar; Anuradha Chinta, Member of Parliament from Amalapuram; Sunita Duggal, Member of Parliament from Sirsa; Vijay Hansdak, Member of Parliament from Rajmahal; and Kaushal Kishore, Member of Parliament from Mohan Lalganj.

This is a significant moment in the plant-based movement in India, as the environmental impact of animal agriculture and the sustainability of plant-based diets has been acknowledged in the Parliament of India.

“These lawmakers didn’t hesitate to step up and show people that we can save animals’ lives, reduce water use, and slash greenhouse-gas emissions simply by choosing vegan foods. PETA India encourages everyone to follow their lead and be a vegan force of nature against climate change on World Environment Day and every day," said PETA India Vegan Outreach Coordinator Dr. Kiran Ahuja.

(L) MP Maneka Gandhi, (R) MP Anuradha Chinta | Image Courtesy: Facebook?

MP Kaushal Kishore even promoted eating vegan to save the environment by sharing PETA's video message.

While the growth of veganism in India may be gradual, there has been a significant rise in the plant-based population in recent years. Consumers are becoming more environmentally and ethically conscious about their food choices, and the same factors being brought to the limelight by widely-known politicians will give the movement in India greater recognition.