Former Chief Justice of India Chandrachud Honoured as PETA India’s ‘Most Influential Vegan’ While Starring with Family in Heartwarming Video
PETA India is naming D. Y. Chandrachud, recently retired Chief Justice of India, as PETA India’s 2024 Most Influential Vegan for being publicly vocal about how his daughters, Priyanka and Mahi, inspired him to eat and live vegan (including by being leather-free).
In continuation of his efforts to share the benefits of vegan living with the public, former Chief Justice Chandrachud, alongside his wife Kalpana Das and their daughters, starred in a new video for PETA India. In it, they share the story behind their compassionate lifestyle, how vegan living is aligned with Indian ethos, and the importance of living kind.
“What we eat, what we wear, how we think, how we deal with other individuals should be in a way which is consistent with the right to everyone’s dignity, whether it’s a human being, an animal or a bird. Our Constitution, for instance, says in Article 51A(g), which lays down the fundamental duties of every citizen, to have compassion for every living creature.” – former Chief Justice Chandrachud
“Very often, people don’t realize that animals do have the same feelings. They have pain, they have joy, jealousy, yes, they do have! They strategize.” – Kalpana Das, his wife, and a dedicated advocate for animal rights
In the meat, leather, egg, and dairy sectors, billions of animals endure extreme confinement and harsh treatment every year. Egg-laying hens are cramped into cages so small they can’t spread their wings, cows and buffaloes are forcibly separated from their calves, male piglets are castrated without painkillers, and fish are yanked out of the water and crushed, suffocated, or cut open and gutted, all while they’re still conscious. Animals used for leather often have their throats slit while they are still conscious.
In addition to sparing up to hundreds of animals every year from a miserable life and terrifying death, each individual who goes vegan reduces their risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, and dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint. According to the United Nations, animal agriculture is responsible for nearly a fifth of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions and a global shift towards eating vegan is necessary to combat the worst effects of the climate catastrophe. Bovine leather is also ranked as the most polluting material in fashion.
Past recipients of PETA India’s Most Influential Vegan Award include spiritual leader and humanitarian Brahmarishi Mohanji and Vedanta teacher Acharya Prashant.
