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vegetarianism is already visible, but deserves further encouragement. Vegetarianism has distinct spiritual, ethical and environmental connotation. Renowned experts have also testified to the nutritious and health energizing content of vegetarian diet. Unrestrained Non-vegetarianism is antienvironment as it involves merciless killing of innocent, voiceless and defenseless animals and birds at slaughterhouses and rearing of animals exclusively to provide food for human consumption as if they are a food crop without any soul, emotions or sentiments. Already it is feared that 25% of earth's total biological diversity is at serious risk of extinction. If this continues, it would lead to a dangerous disturbance for the worse in the ecological balance. We are killing the masterpieces of life on the planet and destroying life support system.
Jain Gurudev Chitrabhanu has converted many Americans to vegetarianism over a period of three decades. Jain Acharya Chandanaji at Veerayatan (birth place of Lord Mahavir) in Bihar State of India has persuaded a large number of tribals to give up eating meat and take to a vegetarian diet. Entire State of Gujarat became vegetarian since 1133 A D when the then King Kumarpal developed vegetarian culture under the influence of Jain religion. Such programmes can be very usefully multiplied in all the continents.
Let us remember that among animal lovers and vegetarians have been great philosophers, artists, statesman and mathematicians like Pythagoras, Plutarch, Plato, Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, Leo Tolstoy, George Bernard Shaw, Annie Besant, Albert Schweitzer, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave.
2. Measures needed to gain momentum to control violence towards nature. Earth is rapidly being plundered and forest cover is rapidly disappearing. In USA alone since 1960, the rate of deforestation as been one acre every second. Air and water is getting heavily polluted, March of desert continues; global warning is affecting agriculture. If we do not judicious conserve and develop our water resources, 21st Century may well face a global water crisis. What is called for is dynamic sustainable development complementary to
Ahimsa: The Ultimate Winner
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