VegPlanet — October 2017

T

hroughout her career, which included heading

the PETA India offi ce for nine years, Anuradha

Sawhney has been an active campaigner for animal

rights and environmental issues. She has won many

awards for her work, and Femina magazine ranked her

amongst their 50 most powerful women in India. She has

often appeared on national and international television

debating the rights of animals, and has been profi led in

almost every major publication. She is a prolifi c writer,

and has been published in many major newspapers and

magazines in India as well as internationally. An episode

of lifestyle-induced high cholesterol, triglycerides,

hypertension, and high sugar levels scared her. Her

determination and single-minded belief that the mind

can conquer the body changed the shape of her life and

led to her book The Vegan Kitchen: Bollywood Style! An

avid health enthusiast and fi rm believer in the power of

a vegan lifestyle, she now lives in Pune.

Ask Anu

Why is it cruel to keep fi shes (gold fi sh) in a bowl?

How different is it from keeping them in an

aquarium? - Minu, Puducherry

Dear Minu, Imagine that you go into your bathroom and
are unable to get out ever. You are doomed to spend the
rest of your life cooped in that tiny space with nothing
to do but pace from one end to the other and back
again. Additionally, there are no books for you to read
or any TV for you to watch and nothing to occupy your
mind. That’s the typical life a goldfi sh in a bowl leads.

Now imagine that you are still locked up in a small
space but in that tiny space there are books for you to
read and TV for you to watch and there are also a few
other humans cooped with you in that same space.
While you may be grateful in the beginning for other
humans and the books and the TV, after a while you will
crave to be able to go back to your family and lead a
life of freedom. That’s life in an aquarium for you.

Fish are intelligent, sensitive animals who think and
feel pain the same way that cats and dogs do. In
fact, scientists at Oxford University have discovered
that some fi sh can learn faster than dogs. Fish crave
stimulation from other fi sh and from their environment.
They are meant to dwell in the majestic seas—even the
biggest, most well-maintained aquarium can’t compare
to the open ocean.

I’m thinking of starting a vegan business. Would

you be able to recommend a suitable platform for

advice and support with the start up process? -

Sooraj, Bengaluru

Dear Sooraj, That’s such a good idea. I am very
happy to read this. The number of vegans in India is
growing by leaps and bounds and the more vegan

businesses the better for everyone! Before you start

anything though, here are a few tips you should keep

in mind. First prepare a business plan. A business

plan is a written description of your business’s future,

a document that tells what you plan to do and how

you plan to do it. Next, prepare a budget. Remember,

before you can make money you have to fi gure out how

to spend it. Drafting a budget is a key way to help you

turn your dreams into reality. Another very important tip

is to ensure that your vegan business appeals to non-

vegans. You have opportunities with your services and

products to appeal to a wider audience.

In case you need to raise funds for the business, you

can try diff erent ways. Look out for Angel Investors.

Research ethical business websites to get an idea

of your competition. Try Venture Funding. There are

so many ways to raise money available to people

now. Additionally, look for websites which deal with

only ethical businesses. Search for forums which are

a platform for ethical based items. Look around for

website which sell vegan goods. There are many of

these.

I have cats at home and I would like to grow some

indoor plants, but I’m anxious that these plants

might be harmful to the cats. Could you help me

with the list of plants causing allergies or harmful

effects to cats? - Sandhya, Hyderabad

Dear Sandhya, Some plants are fatal for cats when

ingested. One of these is lilies. Other plants may cause

enough damage that prolonged aftercare in the form of

medication or special diet is needed.

Corn plant (also known as cornstalk plant, dracaena,

dragon tree or ribbon plant) is toxic to dogs and

cats. Dieff enbachia is also toxic to dogs and cats.