A report submitted by Karma D Namgyal (President, Tibetan Students Association Pune - TSAP)
Tuesday October 18, 2005 04:30 PM Pune: All the members of TSAP (Tibetan Students Association Pune) were assembled at Pandav Nagar, Pune (130KM from Mumbai). At first, we all thought it would be just an ordinary talk show by some volunteer. The room was filled with usual murmurs, giggles and hush hushes before the talk began.
As the talk began, silence touched the room with a bit of amazement and a bit of curiosity. It began with a soft introduction about Tibetan Volunteers for Animals organization and then the activist screened PETA's MEAT YOUR MEAT Video and explained how much animals suffer for our food.
It is really painful and disheartening to know how we humans treat animals. Animals who did no wrong to us except that they served all their life for us, are sold to the slaughter houses when they become old and useless. TVA says “Some Tibetans in Tibetan settlements sell their own domestic animals when they get old, to the butchers and then offer the money they get, to the monasteries. This is a smart way of getting rid of the animals (people think) but the one up there is no fool.” TVA feels such act is inhumane. TVA activists Rapsel Tsariwa and Monlam Lobsang says “No Killing of an innocent can be justified and selling an animal to a butcher is the same. You cannot kill your parents when they grow old! You cannot kill and then pray!”
TVA activists advised people who quit meat to eat more pulses, wheat bread, oatmeal, beans, corn, peas and mushrooms if they feel they need more protein. These are rich in natural plant proteins instead of animal proteins (which is the cause of many diseases). Use of animal skin is another major problem, the trade of animal skin has degraded the name of Tibetans to a great extend. It is a stigma on any society. Love, Compassion and Mercy are the three words almost every Tibetan Buddhist speaks of but merely practices it. We believe animals have once been our parents and also recite ‘OM MANI PADME HOON’ whenever some one talks about animal sufferings but when the dinner is served, nobody has a problem.
TVA strongly feels that eating meat is as bad as killing an animal. It is simple logic and economics that demand creates supply. Tibetans consider butchers to be sinners, low caste and most inhumane beings on this earth but butchers are a subject of compassion because they commit so much of sin only for us to eat. They do not kill for themselves, they do not kill for hobby or they love doing it, they kill for us and it is us who are inhumane, causing them to commit this sin.
Students were really moved by the talk and requested TVA to visit Pune again soon so that students could call their friends especially Bhutanese and Nepalese to listen to their talk.
At 8:30 PM the same day another such gathering was organized at a place called Pimpri (16KM from Pune) where about 7 Tibetan Families do sweater selling business.
Everyone was touched and consequently over 11 people signed a lifetime commitment never to eat meat. Surprisingly, hardcore Non Vegetarians like Mr. Sonam Woser (36), Mr. Yeshi Phuntsok (age 63) and his spouse Mrs. Tsering Dekyi (51) turned vegetarian and signed a lifetime commitment not to eat meat.
At both the places, the conclusion was made with an appeal to people not to eat meat during the coming Kalachakra. Vegetarian Kalachakra Project is the forth coming campaign of TVA. Tibetan Volunteers for Animals, despite being busy with their preparations for the Vegetarian Kalachakra Project, takes out time to go to the places where they haven’t gone. TVA has gone to each and every Tibetan Settlements in India and Nepal and now aims to cover the Indian cities where Tibetans live to spread their message of peace, love and compassion.
We have been struggling for human rights for about 45 years now. And it is really encouraging and heartening to see TVA to come up for animal rights. I’m sure one day will come when we see all human beings in this world to be vegetarians. On behalf of TSAP, I really wish TVA a very good luck.
"Kill not the animals, but kill the animal inside you."