Gandhi's Greatest Personal Tragedy

Craig L. wrote to me:

"Over one billion people living in India worship

cows. They drink their milk. Gandhi ate no meat,

but milk and dairy products were the mainstay

of his diet."

Dear Craig and friends,

Mahatma Gandhi's namesake, Maneka Gandhi, today

leads the 'Notmilk' movement in India. Dr. Gandhi

began the modern-day animal rights movement in

India, and once served in the Indian govenment as

the Minister of Animal Welfare. Her rescue work

has resulted in liberating thousands of abused

animals after uncovering accounts of animal

torture and abuse in 590 so-called research

facilities. Today, she is India's single most

powerful anti-dairy voice, and her 'Notmilk'

movement is growing.

In 1891, 22-year-old Mohandas Gandhi passed the

bar exam and earned his law degree. His passive

activism was developed 23 years later while helping

his countrymen attain rights under an apartheid

policy applied to Indians living in South Africa.

In 1914, Gandhi returned to India with a lung

disease, pleurisy. His doctors advised that he

drink cow's milk, but India's spiritual leader-

to-be refused. The same advice was offered to

Gandhi in 1918 after he developed a serious

case of dysentery accompanied by high fever.

Although Gandhi had made a lifelong vow to never

drink cow's milk, the illness nearly took his life,

and he made a compromise by drinking goat's milk.

In his autobiography, Gandhi admitted that his

habit of drinking goat's milk "has been the tragedy

of my life."

At age 71, Gandhi reflected upon his NOTMILK philosophy

by writing the following (p. 381) in his autobiography:

"I had long realized that milk was not necessary for

supporting the body, but it was not easy to give it up.

While the necessity for avoiding milk in the interests

of self-restraint was growing upon me, I happened to come

across some literature from Calcutta, describing the

tortures to which cows and buffaloes were subjected by

their keepers. This had a wonderful effect on me."

At 21 years of age, Gandhi vacationed at the farm of

fellow vegetarian, Leo Tolstoy. At Tolstoy Farm, Gandhi

came to understand that milk from cows was not the

perfect food for humans. On page 382 of his autobiography,

Gandhi wrote:

"It was during this time that we had the discussion about

milk. Mr. Kallenbach said, 'We constantly talk about the

harmful effects of milk. Why then do not we give it up? It

is certainly not necessary.' I was agreeably surprised at

the suggestion, which I warmly welcomed, and both of

us pledged ourselves to abjure milk there and then."

For the final meal of his life on January 30, 1948,

shortly before he was assassinated, Mohatma Gandhi

dined on cooked vegetables, oranges, and goat's milk.

October 2 is Gandhi's birthday. October 2, 2002, marks

the 20th celebration of World Farm Animal Day. Please

join millions of people in 20 nations who, as one

voice and one spirit, honor Gandhi's memory by paying

tribute to the 123 million farm animals who die each day.

These sentient creatures live tortured lives in order

to feed man.

Robert Cohen

http://www.notmilk.com