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arranged a vegetarian buffet for all the 200 guests as a mark of respect for my vegetarianism. In fact, she observed that in an almost totally non-vegetarian Mexican society, it was nice that I inspired her to think of Mexican vegetarian dishes in view of abundance of fruits and vegetables in Mexico.
On yet another occasion when I was India's Ambassador to Belgium, at a formal sit down dinner at the British Ambassador's house, the wife of the N.A.T.O. Secretary General requested the British Ambassador to give her a seat next to me. The Ambassador consulted me because India had no diplomatic dealings with the multilateral military alliance of NATO. At the dinner when I asked the wife of NATO Secretary General about her desire to sit next to me, she said she was beginning to prefer vegetarian food as a natural wholesome and psychologically acceptable diet. By sitting next to me she wanted to ensure being served vegetarian food in the home of a non-vegetarian host.
At the UN Earth Summit 1992 at Buenos Aires in Brazil, a delegate asked me who the white robed person standing next to me was. The person was the well-known Jain Saint Acharya Sushil Muni. Before I could reply, a Christian Priest who was talking to us, replied that he is the representative of the most-peaceful religion of the world viz. Jainism whose followers are all vegetarians.
CONCLUSION
Pro-ve sentiment is growing in different parts of the world inspired by spiritual, emotional, ethical, environmental and nutritional perspectives. More and more non-vegetarians are voluntarily taking to vegetarian food. The change over is in tune with 'humane instincts' of compassion and coexistence with all other living species, as well as the growing gut feeling of responsibility of the human community to protect the Mother Earth and its natural environment.
Ahimsa: The Ultimate Winner ★ (118)
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