Image Credit: twitter.com/PetaIndia , twitter.com/Amul_Coop
Dairy cooperative brand Amul and US-based animal rights organization PETA have been embroiled in a war of words for the past three days after PETA requested Amul to switch to produce vegan milk. In the latest development, Amul’s vice chairman Valamji Humbhal has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to put a ban on PETA saying that “Organizations like this are part of the conspiracy to render unemployed the milk producers of India.”
The controversy started after the Indian arm of PETA, short for ‘People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ wrote a letter to Amul’s managing director RS Sodhi, urging India’s largest milk producer to switch to making plant-based vegan milk. “We would again like to encourage Amul to benefit from the booming vegan food and milk market, instead of wasting resources trying to fight the demand for plant-based products that is only growing,” the letter said.
In response, Sodhi asked PETA talked about the effect such a move would have on the livelihood of 100 million dairy farmers and also questioned the affordability of vegan milk.
Will they give livelihood to 100 million dairy farmers (70% landless) , who will pay for children school fee .. how many can afford expensive lab manufactured factory food made out of chemicals … And synthetic vitamins .. https://t.co/FaJmnCAxdO
— R S Sodhi (@Rssamul) May 28, 2021
Now, Amul’s vice chairman Valamji Humbhal has alledged that PETA wants to ruin the lives of 10 crore people by destroying the image of the Indian dairy sector. “Dairy sector is an important contributor to the GDP of India but the GDP can be affected adversely by misinformation spread by opportunistic elements like this NGO,” he added in his statement.
Humbhal further said he believes PETA is working at the behest of foreign companies. Praising the Indian culture he said, “Indian culture positions livestock as part of their family and raise them as a member of the family.” Denying the cruelty vice chairman further stated, “the question of cruelty does not arise at all.”
In response to Humbhal’s accusations, PETA India’s CEO Dr. Manilal Valliyate said that Amul is acting like a bully and that it is unable to appreciate people’s concern for animals. “They (the public) do not support cruelties like male calves routinely being abandoned or killed since they cannot produce milk, want to experience better health, and are concerned about dairy’s contribution to greenhouse gas, water wastage and other environmental concerns,” he added in a statement released late on Tuesday.