Paul McCartney Urges India To Declare Vegetarian Day

NEW DELHI — Outspoken vegetarian Paul McCartney is urging India to declare a national Vegetarian Day to celebrate meat-free living and compassion toward animals.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says McCartney sent a letter to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying such a day could save animals while helping to protect both the environment and people's health.

McCartney's letter says "it would be a celebration of life."

The U.N. food agency in 2003 estimated 42 percent of India's 1.2 billion people are vegetarian, due mostly to financial and religious concerns. Strict Hindus and Jains do not eat meat.

Singh's office could not immediately confirm receipt of McCartney's letter Tuesday.

Comments

[ZENNEPHI]

06:57 PM on 03/04/2011

The sayings of Disciple Adidyus Judeo Thomas. Primitive devotee of Jesus Christ. Whom
colonized reminents of what is known today as "Thomasian Christianity" in Central India:

..."For it is not what goes into a mans' mouth that defiles him, but what comes out of that mans'
mouth that defiles him..."

Post Script: Bless the Beasts, and the Children. Give them Shelter from the Storm.
Keep them Safe, Keep them Warm. Light there way.

[Kathy Fraser]

11:54 PM on 01/11/2011

Oh, for crying out loud. Shut up and sing, Paul.

[Kathy Fraser]

11:55 PM on 01/11/2011

Shut up and sing, Paul.

[rainbowblue]

01:09 AM on 01/11/2011

A country that's 42% veg. Yeah, that's where effort is needed...

I really don't care, but shouldn't he try to make inroads into France or Germany?
Or Japan, or well...almost everywhere else. India for religious reasons is vegitarian. (and economics as well, but let's focus on the religious because it's funny since Paul's Buddhism orginiated there, and Buddhist nonviolence orginiated in Hinduism)

[DrFunkenstein22]

11:15 PM on 01/06/2011

Does that include bacon?

[outdoors]

11:18 PM on 01/06/2011

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM BACON!

[The Rewd]

11:05 PM on 01/06/2011

Holy cow!

[DoesItMatter]

06:36 PM on 01/06/2011

Conversations of the below type is not uncommon in America.

**************
American: Hey, let's go to XYZ Steakhouse.
Indian Hindu: Sure, do you know if I will get a veggie salad.
American: Why?
Indian Hindu: I do not eat meat.
American: Is it religious or personal choice.
Indian Hindu: Neither.
American: ????
***************

This sort of conversations result because we understand less about others. There is nothing wrong. An American who is quite aware about Islam or Judaism, knows about certain religious injunctions on some kind of meat. So he or she, apply logical thinking wants to know if an Hindu does not eat meat because of religion or personal choice. There are several Americans who are vegetarians or vegans by choice. So this perfectly natural progression of thinking and conversation from an American perspective.

But from an Indian Hindu's perspective, he does not view religion the same way say a Christian or Muslim views religion; because what is called as Hinduism is nothing but inter-related traditions. And with different traditions having a set of rituals (both common and unique), the lifestyle is different. Some eat meat, some don't. Some communities pay heed to some guidelines, while others do not.

Typically an Indian Hindu eats meat based on his family and community traditions. The closest to any injunction against meat is with in the Jaina tradition. Buddhism and Hinduism can be very flexible in these matters - to the extent of confusing others.

[cardiaccare]

04:47 PM on 01/06/2011

Anything for you, Paul!

[outdoors]

03:04 PM on 01/06/2011

Human teeth.
Incisors, for biting into food; Canines, pointed for ripping and tearing food; molars for grinding food.

Not too many herbivores have canines, why they don’t eat meat. We have all 3 types of teeth as we are made to eat meat along with plant matter.

[DavidMG]

05:35 PM on 01/06/2011

there's lots of good reasons to avoid meat. See 21 of them at healthyhighways.com

[Uproar]

06:44 PM on 01/06/2011

then why are we the ONLY animal who must cook and season our meat before eating it? True carnivores have teeth really sharp enough to eat meat raw, just after it was caught, and also to eat it without cooking because they have the proper immune systems. We are herbivores who choose to eat meat, and therefore must alter its state to make it safe to eat.

[jumbotron16]

08:10 PM on 01/06/2011

From Wikipedia:

"Herbivores form an important link in the food chain as they consume plants in order to receive the carbohydrates produced by a plant from photosynthesis. Carnivores in turn consume herbivores for the same reason, while omnivores can obtain their nutrients from either plants or herbivores. Due to an herbivore's ability to survive solely on tough and fibrous plant matter, they are termed the primary consumers in the food cycle(chain)."

Does this sound like it describes humans?

[jumbotron16]

08:12 PM on 01/06/2011

My point being, an actual herbivore can't choose to eat meat, because they actually can't eat meat. They can only eat plants.

[makebofapay]

01:57 PM on 01/06/2011

Let's try national vegetarian day here in the USA. We should start with once a week and build up from there. We eat way too much meat. In most countries where people are NOT suffering an obesity epidemic, people use meat as a condiment, not as a main course. If we started a campaign here, we could save animal lives, reduce green house gas emissions and improve our health.

[mothergrace]

02:38 PM on 01/06/2011

Obesity has nothing to do with eating meat. Too many calories from any source can make you gain weight.

Most people do eat too much meat and can scale back but plowing a field kills a lot of animals, rice paddies produce more methane than raising cattle and the newest studies show that saturated fat, cholesterol, etc. associated with meat do not the impact previously thought on our cardio health or cancer rates.

[DavidMG]

05:37 PM on 01/06/2011

How about citing the sources of your methane and fat assetions.

[outdoors]

11:08 PM on 01/06/2011

So don teat meat right? Ok lets it all the green leafy plants right? Then what do the animals that green leafy plants eat.. Oh thats right if the starve because WE ate all the green leafy plants the animal starve to death. But that is ok because that is what Mother Nature Wants?

The earth is not our mother. Yea some terrible things have been done by man. But this logic of eating only the things the true herbivors eats isnt the answer. We must manage our bounty, be is animals or that gree leafy plant.

[SweetJudith]

01:07 PM on 01/06/2011

I'm with you 100% Paul!!! People that beat or eat animals have a very dark soul and very little conscience!!! Go Vegan!!!

[DoesItMatter]

10:26 AM on 01/06/2011

The Sir, should keep his opinions to himself. Methinks.

[Cheyla]

07:04 PM on 01/05/2011

Paul McCartney urges India to lead the world with vegan day

[Anne Mccormick]

03:20 AM on 01/05/2011

didn't anyone tell Paul McCartney that Hindu's in India don't eat meat.

[draven646]

12:22 AM on 01/06/2011

Actually a lot of Hindu's - over 50% do eat meat - while about 40% are pure vegetarians. I would estimate about 90% of the Meat eating Hindu's do not eat Beef - as cow's are a prominent symbol of Lord Krishna. All the Hindu's i know eat lamb, chicken and Pork a lot - but very very few eat Beef.

[Tenjikuronin]

03:13 AM on 01/06/2011

I've noticed that out of those who do eat meat, most are infrequent or occasional eaters, as opposed to frequent eaters. Muslim Indians, on the otehr hand, I've noticed are frequent eaters.

[DoesItMatter]

10:28 AM on 01/06/2011

There are more meat-eaters than vegetarians in India and Hindus.

[wandering girl]

01:06 AM on 01/05/2011

kind of carrying coals to Newcastle, innit?

[jumbotron16]

01:01 AM on 01/05/2011

How compassionate can Paul McCartney be--he still eats dairy and eggs! Do you have any idea what goes on in the dairy and egg industries, Sir Paul? Even if you're buying "organic," or "free range," or "all natural," what do you think happens to all the male cows, and the male chickens, in those industries? Seriously, how do you sleep at night?

[oneyippie]

10:51 AM on 01/05/2011

"how do you sleep at night?" That was John Lennon's question to Paul, wasn't it?

Answer: He smokes cannabis...

[jumbotron16]

06:17 PM on 01/05/2011

Yes--I love that song! :)

[minusjason]

11:36 AM on 01/05/2011

It's about lowering the impact. Even if a person doesn't go vegan, their impact is greatly lessened by going vegetarian. Mr. McCartney is free to eat as he likes, just as you are.

[jumbotron16]

06:17 PM on 01/05/2011

If he is going to preach "compassion" to the entire population of India, maybe he should take a look at his own diet first. Eating grass fed beef is arguably more compassionate than eggs and dairy. One of his favorite foods is quiche for goodness sake!