KATHMANDU: The Himalayan Vegan Festival-2022 has been scheduled to be held in coming April.

Kathmandu and Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, have been chosen as venues for organizing the festival which is said to be the first and historic of its kind in the region.

The festival to be organized by the World Vegan Organisation aims to promote ‘ethical living’ with a vegan lifestyle and create public awareness about it, said World Vegan Organisation Nepal chair, Suresh Prasad Sharma.

The festival will be held in Kathmandu from April 15-17 followed by April 18-20 in Thimphu.

As Sharma shared, it is not mandatory to be a vegan or a vegetarian to be eligible for participating in the event. Anyone else wishing to be part of the festival is heartily welcomed in the event, he said. The entry is free.

According to the Himalayan Vegan Organising Committee, over 100 international vegan speakers, distinguished guests, and personalities are expected to join the festival.

The festival will feature vegan food stalls and consumer products. Likewise, live band music and dance, demonstrations by international and local vegan chefs, film exhibitions, free cookery training, fitness and fashion workshop, training on the preparation of plant-based milk and mock meat are among the highlights of the festival.

Highlighting the significance of the festival; rights activists, journalists, and vegan Prakash Ajaat said practice and promotion of vegan lifestyle were necessary for good treatment of all livings beings on the planet.

Defining the vegan movement from the rights-based approach, he argued,” The planet is for all; not just for humans. Animals too deserve to be loved and care for. They need well treatment.

More, the vegan lifestyle which primarily excludes meat and dairy products from the menu has its value for the creation of a just society as it directly contributes to the promotion of non-violence which is indeed a first condition for promoting world peace. More, lactose intolerance is a global health issue and veganism would contribute to curing the problem.”

(Pabitra Guragain/RSS)