This story is from March 27, 2019

56-year-old Girish Shah chalks out why we should all go vegan

56-year-old Girish Shah chalks out why we should all go vegan
Girish Shah writing on an empty sign board
BHOPAL: Have you ever wondered who is advocating the ‘Go Vegan’ messages on the city's walls? Meet 56-year-old Girish Shah, who has been spreading the message of veganism, a major trend in Western countries. The crusader, who claims to have scribbled thousands of slogans in different parts of the city, was seen in action in the state capital on Tuesday.
An employee with a nationalised bank, Shah admits with pride that he has so far exhausted some 20,000 chalks in spreading the message of adopting a plant-based diet.
“I have written some 5,000 messages over walls in the city for the people of Bhopal to become vegans,” said Shah while he was writing on one of the walls in Piplani.
Some of the slogans that the vegan scribbles are; “doodh chhodo, days jodo; daya ka funda na mass na anda; dooje ki maa se china doodh pina hi kyun and vegan bano”.
Shah, a staunch vegan, has been adding colour to his campaign by citing the examples of high-profile sportspersons - cricketer Virat Kohli and footballer Sunil Chhetri.
“I appeal to the people — 'Google Karo' to browse through the advantages of turning vegan or adopting a plant-based lifestyle."
“It was in December 2017 that I first wrote ‘Go Vegan’ in Bhopal and have been writing it ever since. I have also written the slogan in Indore, Ratlam and Jabalpur of Madhya Pradesh. I wish to spread the word in the whole state and am targeting Amravati now. There are many people like me who wish to spread the message of veganism. Abhishek Dubey of Gonda in Uttar Pradesh,
Ashish Jain of Indore and Chintan Matta of Udaipur are also doing their bit,” he said.
When TOI asked why he chose to write with chalk and not paint. Shah replied, “I use chalk because it is economical and it can be erased easily. If people find it unsightly, they can always erase it. Besides, it is nature-friendly and does not release any chemicals like paint.”
When asked if he ever misses milk-products like ghee, curd or milk itself, he said, “There has not been a single day that I missed them. There are a number of substitutes available in the market. I can consume soy milk and use almond milk and cashew milk for tea.”
Why Shah took to a plant-based diet
“I was a vegetarian. It was five years back when a non-vegetarian told me that if I drank milk and consumed milk products, I should eat non-veg too as milk wasn’t plant-based. It came from cows and buffaloes. Though I was hurt by his words, it hit me deep," he said.
“I realized that milk indeed wasn’t plant-based and decided to do some research on the mass production of milk. Many disturbing videos of animal cruelty like artificial impregnation of cows to produce milk and separating of calves from their mothers at birth came to light when I searched for ‘milk production’. The baby calves are starved and fed substitutes so that we can consume what in fact is rightfully theirs," he added
Punishment for defacing public property
Though Shah is trying to propagate a lifestyle, his method could land him in trouble for defacing public property. BMC assistant commissioner BMC, M P Singh, said, “If it is a public property and someone writes or paints on it without permission from the government, he can he charged under the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1976. The collector of the district can punish him with a fine of Rs 1000/- and/or imprisonment up to six months.”
When asked about this, Shah said that he was aware of the rules but his slogans are not written in public places.
Alternatives for vegans
Alternative products as substitutes for dairy are highly expensive. To this, Shah said, “When you choose an ethic, money and taste can be compromised upon. I know that soy milk is not palatable for many and is an acquired taste and dry-fruit milk is costly, but if you compare the overall cost of consumption per day, it is only slightly more expensive than being a vegetarian.”
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