This Vegan has taken a Vow of Silence for 1 Year for Animals

One of the toughest things to do is to actually stay quiet. How many of us can do that even for a few hours? I’d guess extremely few. AJ Raina, a fashion and ad photographer, based in Delhi has pledged to remain silent for not just a day or month but an entire year. Well, that surely gave you goosebumps, didn’t it? It is unbelievable and seems next to impossible to execute such a thing in real life. However, the purpose behind AJ’s vow of silence is to create awareness about the voiceless suffering of millions of animals who are mercilessly enslaved, harassed and slaughtered every year in order to fulfill our desires.

While we are comfortably sitting on our chairs, newborns are being mutilated, mothers separated from their young ones and countless animals being sent to slaughterhouses to feed the meat and leather industries. AJ Raina’s silence of one year is for those voiceless beings who cannot convey the fear and trauma they are forced to endure. Inspired by James Aspey who also took a similar vow of silence in 2014, he says “My goal is to convert 7.5 billion people to compassion and veganism.” Scrolling through his social media page, one can witness daily reminders of the reason why he has chosen this path. Through these messages and videos, he has been inspiring numerous people to be a part of his campaign.

AJ has not spoken since the 6^th of November which was his birthday. He has been working but communicates only through actions or sticky notes. Why the notes or virtual communication, if you may ask? He says, “I’m active online across media because a complete silence would not help the cause. The idea for me is to give up something so precious, something that makes my life very hard, especially being a photographer who has to non-stop give instructions to the team and the models as they pose,  it inspires others to find out more about veganism and animal liberation. But if I go completely silent on social media, the message doesn’t get out there, defeating the purpose.” Moreover, he has also been handing out cards to people or whenever he goes to any restaurants.

Following his steps, a number of people have taken the initiative of donating their silence, whether it is for a few hours or a day, showing their support for his campaign. Inspired by his dedication, a number of people have also gone vegan since his silence began. “Many people have pledged their own silences with me on this journey, some for a few hours, some for a day, and I'd like to generate more momentum for my campaign and get billions of people to actively donate their own silences during the period of my vow. I’m looking for people in Delhi who can do activism with me since I can’t speak and will need them to be my voice. I’d love to meet with enthusiastic, passionate vegans here” he concludes. 

So if you're interested in being part of his journey, then check out his FB page and help spread the word. Also, if you're feeling extra inspired why not do something similar, if a year is too long, how about just a weekend? 

Like this?

Read: These Young Activists are changing the Awareness game

Read more: Tambrahm Parents react to their Daughter Turning vegan. AYYAYOO!