Graphic artist Jas Charanjiva promotes veganism without going to war

Jas Charanjiva at her Bandra studio. Pic/Bipin Kokate

In California as a 14-year-old Jas Charanjiva read a book on how the fast food industry was clearing off the Amazon forest lands to make space for cattle to graze - the cattle in turn would be used to make beef burgers.

A massive amount of water was being used to irrigate the land. It was estimated, according to the book, that cutting back on one beef burger a day would bring back two week's worth of water supply. That was when she stopped eating beef. The graphic artist who is the co-founder of Kulture Shop, a graphic artist platform and lifestyle brand, recently embarked on a personal project, on social media, to spread the word on veganism, and fight animal cruelty. Her approach towards the subject is refreshingly calm, in sharp contrast to the aggressive activism that seems to have become synonymous with veganism and vegetarianism.

Her methods seem to have hit home. Singer-songwriter Sidd Coutto, evidently moved by a picture Charanjiva posted of a pig slaughterhouse in Iowa, has now given up pork, even though he thinks "bacon is the greatest tasting thing on the planet". Charanjiva tells us that Coutto is now working on changing his entire food plan, which will include more salads. Come Thursday, she will start a series of meet-ups that will be open to vegans, vegetarians, those transitioning and those who are simply curious. The first meet at the Kulture Shop store in Bandra will be a small gathering of not more than 10 guests, including Poorva Joshipura, CEO, PETA. "There will be a few artists too. As we go along, I want to bring in experts from the meat and dairy industry, so that there can be a debate and discussion. It's important to understand the other side," says the 46-year-old.

It has taken Charanjiva many years to get here. After giving up beef and pork in her teens, it was in her early 20s that she started trying to give up chicken. She was nearly 42 by the time she could give up all kinds of non-vegetarian items, including eggs, followed by dairy and cheese. "When I realised the extent of animal cruelty rampant in the world, I was full of anger. So I waited three years to speak from a clear mind. A lot of purpose gets lost in aggression, because people stop listening to you."

Charanjiva is now working on a graphic art project through which she intends to inform the audience on animal cruelty one poster at a time. There is also a children's book in the works. "It's a comic book, where the protagonist is a ten-year old girl. She's a little bit on the nerdy side. She stumbles upon some information on the Internet about animal slaughter and then sets off on a mission to try and stop it - a la vigilante. It's for readers aged from 11 to 13. Children of that age are old enough to influence their parents and their younger siblings too, to change their food habits," the artist says.

Engaging with people on a public forum has helped "that deep-rooted anger go away". "There is a lot of evil in the world, that we cannot control. Violence against women, for instance. But, animal cruelty is something we can address," she says. She adds that her knowledge in the subject is incomplete. "There is much to learn and I want to dive into this. The US is promoting clean meat industry, dairy factories are shutting down because of the rise of dairy substitutes, which brings us to the question of livelihood. The arguments are even more complex in India. Having said that, every meal is still a decision. That way we can switch the demand and supply chain."

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