Why Your Milk Isn’t Vegetarian: The Hidden Violence of Dairy | Ft. Animal Rights Activist Shivam Nandi
Animal rights educator Shivam Nandi (Voice of Vegans) joins Sustainable Tea with Shreya for an unfiltered deep dive into ethics, culture, and power. He traces a blunt journey from “hardcore non-veg” to vegan after confronting his own cognitive dissonance, then dismantles the comforting myths around “ethical” dairy and eggs: forced breeding, calf-mother separation, mass disposal of male chicks, and supply-chain links between dairy, beef, and leather. A feminist lens runs through the conversation about body autonomy, exploitation of female reproductive systems, and why compassion that excludes animals is just selective empathy. Religion and ritual aren’t spared either: when sacred narratives are used to justify harm, that’s not devotion, that’s convenience.And from there the discussion further widens into food politics in India, caste, festivals, and performative activism and why animal liberation must be a political project, not just a personal diet. Shivam calls out bad-faith arguments head-on: the protein panic is about awareness, not meat; “veganism is elitist” is a dishonest shield used by the privileged; and fitness influencer culture routinely sells whey while hiding the exploitation behind it. He lays out a pragmatic path: start with the “why” think from the victim’s perspective, then learn the “how,” because plant-based nutrition is achievable when knowledge replaces habit. If dogs deserve empathy, so do hens, goats, cows, and fishes; species don't grant moral permission.Watch, reflect, and if the “why” lands, let the “how” follow.In this Episode00:00 - Start of the Podcast 02:02 - The Awakening: From Habit to Ethics08:01 - Unmasking the Dairy Illusion15:01 - Feminism and Animal Exploitation20:01 - Religion, Ritual, and Moral Dissonance27:01 - Food, Caste, and Cultural Power33:01 - Veganism as Political Resistance39:01 - Protein Myths and Fitness Culture45:01 - Elitism and Accessibility in Diet52:01 - Why Vegan, Then How Vegan1:00:00 - Egg Industry and Hidden Cruelty1:04:01 - Selective Compassion and Conditioning1:09:01 - From Awareness to Action1:13:01 - Activism, Discomfort, and Courage1:17:01 - Bollywood, Influence, and Hypocrisy1:21:01 - Hope, Change, and Moral Agency1:23:25 - End of the Podcast Where bold ideas meet brewed conversations. ☕ Sustainable Tea with Shreya is India’s biggest sustainability podcast, hosted by climate communicator and plant based lifestyle advocate Shreya Ghodawat. In each episode, we sit down with changemakers across the globe, think climate scientists, clean-tech innovators, chefs, ethical fashion founders, indigenous leaders, and more, talking about everything that matters in a bid to live better. This is a space for curious minds and conscious conversations. For people who care, question, and want to understand what sustainability looks like in the real world, from policy to personal choices. If you're done with surface-level conversations and want to hear us spill the tea on how everyday choices connect to change the impact. Pull up a chair, sip on your favourite brew, and explore insights that move the needle.Sustainable Tea with Shreya, Sustainability, Vegan, Veganism , Non-vegetarian, Animal exploitation, Animal husbandry, Protein myths, Animal leather, Eggs, Vegan diet, Plant diet, Plant protein, Dark side of dairy, Cruelty, Dairy free, Lactose intolerance, Lactose free milk, Dairy free diet, STWS
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