It’s been two months since I joined Teafloor. Being a final year college student and a first timer for internships, this transition for me has been a little taxing. A good point to consider is that I am getting to learn what I always wanted to, writing.During this little course of time, a lot has changed in my daily routine. Specially, the amount of teas that I have started consuming throughout the workday. It’s at least 3-4 cups every day. It’s a new habit I’m not really happy about and one of the reasons why I thought of getting into veganism in the first place. Being acne prone, my concern is the dairy and the sugar, as people with acne are suggested to stay away from sugar and dairy products. In fact, they are suggested to turn vegan. Though I am not really fond of sugar, but tea or anything without milk isn’t my cup of tea. I know, most of you can’t even skip the sugar. Totally understandable!
How it Began
Just a couple of days back, I saw a buffalo feeding on garbage. Albeit, it was a usual scene for my eyes, my perspective this time was different. I just felt like that garbage is exactly what goes in my tea. As the buffalo will produce milk only from the nutrients it itself consumes. Similarly the cow, who was feeding the same food beside. Then I thought, maybe it’s just the stray cattle which has nothing to do with the milk I consume. Just then, a car with its lights lit crossed by, coincidently aiming at the buffalo and its tag. The one which the cattle farmers use for identification of their cattle. Thus, defying my thought and making me realise the high probability of my next day’s tea or the day after’s to include the ‘garbage’ milk brewed with my favourite tea. That moment, I wished I was into veganism since childhood.
I couldn’t sleep that night. What if I had been consuming garbage since childhood? Who knows? My mother certainly took care the first few years, but there’s no assurity for the rest. Having nothing else to do, I started researching about how milk farming is actually done in India. The research findings will make the process of getting into veganism easier for anyone.
The Black Side of Our White Milk.
What did I find? Well, got to know a lot. Some facts which I had been ignoring unconsciously and some new ones.
The cattle living in restrictive and unhygienic conditions is something I was aware of and couldn’t deny ignoring. This other fact, however, never occurred to me, even it being so much in front of the eyes. How do you think we get milk daily from a cow or a buffalo? Our own mothers can’t produce milk daily for years, they can only do that for some time after bearing us. Similar is the cow or the buffalo. She can also give milk only if she has recently given birth to a calf. Since, your milkman is getting you a couple of litres daily from the same old two cows he has, it means he has been artificially impregnating them. And this is what the research said! Every single cow is impregnated almost every year just so that it could produce milk for us humans. Did you catch it there? Yes, for us humans! The cow produces milk for her calf, not for us. We just nab it away from the calf. But wait. What does the calf consume then? Pity, it mostly consumes milk- substitutes instead of its own mother’s milk.
Oh! Why? The cow isn’t a vegan for sure! Anyways, now let’s be gender-specific, if the calf is a female, you know what happens, she has to go through the same pain her mother had to. What if it’s a male calf? Now, since he can’t produce milk, you think maybe he is let go. Nope! He is actually slaughtered within a few months after birth, just to be turned to beef or leather to be sold and earned money from.
So much nastiness and so clear to see, unfortunately ignored.
From Shock to Decision to be a Vegan
A shocking thing which I wasn’t aware of was the technique of Khalbaccha, also known as a makeshift calf. Just so that the mother keeps producing milk for its calf, a dead calf’s head is stuffed with a straw to create a dummy to be kept beside the mother. Fortunately, cows aren’t subjected to this particular form of cruelty because they are considered sacred, but the buffalos still are.
And suddenly, my math teacher from school came into my head, repeating what she always said. “It’s important to be a good person first, then anything else”. I was feeling bad because of all the milk I had drunk so far since childhood, the cheesy pizzas I ate, then my lovely yoghurt and now, this new habit of tea. All, together might have killed so many male calves and impregnated so many female ones artificially.
After realising all this, only one decision could help my guilty feelings, that is of turning from a vegetarian to a vegan and leave dairy altogether. Let’s see how this transition goes.
I’ll begin with my newly formed tea habit. The only option that seems good is that of replacing my tea’s dairy milk to a suitable vegan milk or having black or green teas instead. But will the milk suit my tea? Will it suit my taste buds? I reckon it’s time for more research to do. I’ll be back to you with the most suitable vegan milk I find for my tea.
I guess, I’ll try Shuddhi from Teafloor’s special Chaispa range until I find the best fit as a new vegan tea lover. You can too do a little research on your own on the site and find your favourite, if you too want to get into veganism.
See you soon!
I write to fulfill your appetite for thought, to get only in return your smile.