How I pulled off the most difficult job of my life---- total conversion to a staunch vegetarian from an obligate non-vegetarian. Since a child, ever since I can recall my memory, we had extensive non-veg stuff as our staple diet. My father being in the army was also an ace game shooter in his active times and our refrigerator was always amply stocked with all kinds of non veg delicacies like wild-boar, wild deer, wild swan, etc etc. along with a spectrum of non veg snacks like ham, bacon, salamis, sardines, mackerel, in addition to a collection of non-veg pickles. Army wallas have great style and we thoroughly enjoyed it. As kids, we would never prefer anything veg, though it was a rule to have daal-sabzi too and then have as much of non-veg stuff as we could. I hardly would ever prefer effete items like paneer, mushrooms etc. Fauji cooks and fauji parties are known for their barbecues and on site roasts that few others can imagine. All in all, I was an OBLIGATE non-veg. The first avulsion towards flesh I had sometime in 1975, when as a kid, as our regiment was moving from Assam to Meerut in the Army Special train under the command of my dad (it is a confidential event, this train has priority over all others and is under the direct command of the Commanding Officer), I was spectator to the first slaughter of my life. I saw the mess jawans slaughtering a Goat----- live event with blood splattering as far as 8-10 feet away---- a ghastly site. I almost puked and could not touch flesh for a long while later. But God has been extremely unkind to the humans in giving them a very weak memory and thus with time, the taste of flesh and blood overtook the ghastly silhouettes of the goat and the blood splatter from it. I again got back to Obligate Flesh eating, enjoying the Tehal Singh of Chandigarh and Baba and Chawla Chicken of Ludhiana. The situation was so intense, that any party that would not serve non-veg stuff, would only find us as hesitant guests, to the extent that one of our friends brothers marriage in Chandigarh that we attended, happened to be a totally veg one, and we were distressed to the limit that we all went out to have flesh. But each time I took flesh, it used to taste great allright, but a part of me would feel rotten, every time, without fail. Thus it was final that I would eventually give flesh up but the million dollar question was WHEN Sir? I dabbled at leaving it and getting back to it again after a few days, a number of times. I came to understand the actual gravity of the expression muh ko khoon lagna, as the taste of blood was coming to be impossible to give up. Human mind is also so damn intelligent, that it always devises novel ways and ideas to execute what gives pleasure to it. My one similar venture was just to have the curry of non-veg stuff, a foolish proposition, knowing that I was fooling no other but myself only, because if somebody was to eat me, it would not matter if he ate my flesh or the broth that I was boiled in. Hats of HUMAN Mind! But, now, Really hats off to human mind----- because what gets into it firmly once, is finally done in a matter of time. Thus, in order to achieve a flesh free dietary status, I converted it into a prestige issue. Bingo, I succeeded almost bulls eye, but note almost. I would still yearn for flesh and blood into my mouth. Human mind ki jai jai kaar------- really. I attached (just as you attach a snap/ image to your e-mail of FB message, out of your image gallery collection) the sight of Slaughter House to the sight of chicken/ mutton. It clicked to render 100% conversion to obligate vegetarian status that I am enjoying for a long time now. Manipulate your mind, and when you learn to do that for the better, you become invincible. Human mind, like parachute, works best when open (except when opened by a Neurosurgeon). Hope this helps my friends to succeed in their similar venture, if they are failing...........
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 12:31:21 +0000
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