"Be Against Speciesism": Goa Animal Liberation March 2023

On December 16, 2023, The Vegoans organised Goa ALM (Animal Liberation March). And here is the speech I gave.

In our life, at various places, we encounter oppression. Sometimes, it is directed towards us, and sometimes, we aren't the victim. When we are on the receiving end of injustice, we do not accept any excuses justifying that and we demand for nothing less than complete and permanent end to that oppression. And when we are not at the receiving end of injustice, we owe it to the unfortunate victims, to put an end to their exploitation. Your habits, preferences, desires, tradition, culture, religion, beliefs — for the victim, none of it matters. Literally none of it is a justification for oppressing any one. If you were the victim, you would ask your oppressor to urgently and immediately put an end to the exploitation. Act with the same urgency and seriousness, when you are the one responsible for someone's oppression.

Once you stop being the oppressor, make sure you let others know, that oppression is simply intolerable. After you end the exploitation in your capacity, use your time and energy to speak up against the injustice, for our silence is sadly our submission and approval to the cruel ways the things currently are.

And when you do speak up against the injustice, speak up in the same way you would speak, if you were the victim. Don't talk about health, nature, environment, nutrition, kindness, ahiṃsā, or religion when fighting the injustice animals go through. Because these things hold ZERO importance for should their rights be respected XOR not.

Yes, you are just one cog in the wheel. Maybe you can't make much of a difference to the whole problem. But will it not make a difference to that individual, who would have been the victim because of you? And tell me, what would happen, if cogs in the wheel of exploitation stop cooperating? The wheel, sooner or later stops turning. Realise your conscience; and utilise your autonomy and power to stop funding, supporting, and tolerating animal abuse.