The World Of Tzu Chi December 2019 (Vol.117)

12 2019 • 12 eature Raj Kumar Sheth observed that the vegan lifestyle is gaining appeal among a growing number of environmentally-conscious youths. which commemorates the victory of the deity Rama over the demon king Ravana. During Navaratri, the Shree Lakshmi Narayan temple in Kampung Kasipillay, Sentul comes alive with food stalls selling Indian vegetarian delicacies such as pav bhaji (a thick vegetable curry stew served with bread rolls), panipuri (fried balls of dough filled with a mixture of flavoured water and various condiments) and gulab jamun (fried milk balls soaked in rose- scented syrup). The festival is reminiscent of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, which is celebrated over nine days beginning on the eve of the ninth lunar month by the local Chinese community to pay tribute to the Nine Emperor Gods revered in Taoist belief. Similarly, devotees observe a vegetarian diet throughout the festival – with some doing so for shorter durations – and commit to purifying the self by practising wholesome thoughts and deeds. Spreading the word The Malaysian Vegetarian Society was founded in 1996 with the objective of raising awareness on the health and environmental benefits of vegetarianism. It also aims to inspire compassion among the public by encouraging more people to embrace a vegetarian lifestyle. The non-profit organization had been collaborating with the Ministry of Health to allocate a vegetarian food stall at the Rawang rest stop along the North-South Expressway (NSE) to address the shortage of dedicated vegetarian eateries at highway rest stops. For now, Raj Kumar is working towards realizing his vision of establishing more vegetarian eateries along other prominent stretches of the NSE. He also conducts outreach programmes to promote vegetarianism to the public, including a recent talk on vegetarianism at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for the students of its Faculty of Food Science and Technology. Vegetarian lunches were distributed to the students, who responded positively to the event. He believes in taking a gradual approach to educating the younger generation about vegetarianism, such as encouraging them to reduce their meat intake by dedicating one meal every week to vegetarian fare rather than pressuring them into adopting a full vegetarian diet. “Many young people are becoming vegans due to their growing awareness of environmental issues. We should also create awareness on vegetarianism. If we talk to 100 people, perhaps only a few individuals would listen, but that is enough to influence others,” he asserted.