He's been adjudged the `Best Vegetarian of the Year' in 1998 and just felicitated at the recent Jain Convention in Philadelphia for his contribution to the cause of human welfare and non-violence! Meet Dr.Kalyan Gangwal, a practising physician, who remains an ardent activist and a spirited crusader for animal rights! Virtualpune.com profiles Dr. Kalyan Gangwal.

The west is turning towards vegetarianism but the need for a definite effort towards vegetarianism is what Dr. Kalyan Gangwal is advocating. "The main problem with diet is that non vegetarianism is catching on as a diet fad in India as well. While in the US alone 30 million people have converted to vegetarianism in the past decade, we seem to have no compunctions of advocating more and more non vegetarinism as we compromise on the health of our people by suppressing facts…." Well, that Kalyan Gangwal is sure a man who minces no words is obvious, as he believes that the governments in India need to take charge of making these health facts available to the people. "While research indicates that non veg food as compared against plant foods and dairy products was a poor resource of minerals, sugars and carbohydrates, we in India need to be educated about our health." Infact, Dr.Kalyan Gangwal cites how plants fats are cholestrol free, contain more polysaturated fat which discourages coronary heart diseases. In addition vital fibres are found only in vegetarian foods and the human body needs no supplements! Flesh is rich in proteins alone, but contains toxins as well.

"It is obvious that the ancient Indian dietary discipline believes that to be healthy one must be natural. It is true that even medication is ineffective without diet control and that diet affects human conduct!" According to this soft-spoken doctor who deals with de-addiction of people, and passionately crusades for animal rights says, "Non vegetarian food is known to breed passion, violence and volatility. In Tihar and the Jaipur Jail, inmates were monitored by professional psychologists and showed quitened behaviourial patterns when initiated into a vegetarian regime!" That the doctor underlines how serious the menace of addiction is rampant in India by telling us statistics that make us reel. While he believes Gutkha to play havoc with a vast majority of the system and even increasing in a high amount of cancer, he believes that tobacco companies and alcohol are increasingly becoming the vices of the next generation. "What makes it difficult is that we crusaders are fighting against the large Tobacco and alcohol manufacturers who promote their products as status symbols!"
Dr. Kalyan Gangwal has been repeatedly trying to bring this to the notice of our government as he has sent them various samples of Gutkha for analysis but their requests have never been heeded to! "While these sample have a high lethal index, Foods with index of one are not allowed to enter the market, but these samples have indexes as high as three to four! One factory near Pune that manufactures such samples has it as high as 13.7!"

Well, with this the doctor rests his case. "My crusade is to make people aware of these harmful substances! The rest is upto them and the government!"