From The Press
Published in the Independent, on 24th October 2007

Regarding the health crisis facing UK, the following letter was

Sir: Professor Julian Le Grand’s proposals to halt the health crisis facing this country do not go far enough. The very ethos on which the National Health Service operates, which is, “you fall sick and we will give you a drug to cure you” needs to be overhauled. Individuals must be made to take responsibility for their bodies.In the Indian Ayur Vedic system, for example, the patient would be expected to follow a strict dietary regime prescribed by the doctor. The patient is told in no uncertain terms that he has to take steps to cure himself. Diet plays a very crucial role in one’s physical and mental well-being and instead of just promoting more fruit intake, a meat-free vegetarian and vegan diet should be encouraged. In survey after survey vegetarians and vegans are found to be healthier and less of a burden on the NHS.

Nitin Mehta

Published in the Sunday Times, 4th May 2008
regarding the food shortages crisis and the issue of feeding the growing world population, the following was published:
VEG, NO MEAT: We can feed the world but we will have to change our food habits. Tens of billions of animals are raised for food every year but the grains fed to them could feed billions more people than the meat does. In a thirsty world a huge amount of water is used in raising these animals. Add to this the biofuel that is consuming the food that sustains humans and we have a recipe for disaster. A return to a vegetarian and vegan diet would take off some of the pressure.
Nitin Mehta

Published in the Independent, Friday 11th April 2008
Sir: Your report on the global grain shortage (“Starving Haitains riot as food prices soar”, 10 April ) is a sign of a catastrophe facing the world. The UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), according to your report, can only advise governments to improve crop irrigation and storage. The FAO fails to mention the two major causes of the impending crisis: land being used to produce biofuel, and food grains being diverted to feed animals raised for meat.
In the last two years the US has diverted 60 million tonnes of food to fuel. Almost 60 billion animals are raised worldwide for meat every year and the grains needed to feed them could feed over 4 billion human beings. From South America to Africa to Asia the double whammy of biofuel and grains diverted to feed animals is beginning to cause hunger.
The world population is set to rise to 9.5 billion in a few years and unless we in the West and the rising middle classes of China and India revert to a plant-based vegetarian and vegan diet, mass starvation is a certainty. Biofuel is supposed to be good for the environment, but it is the billions of farm animals that are contributing more to global warming than all the world’s transport put together.
Nitin Mehta, Croydon, Surrey

YIV is grateful to the following organisations
1 Jain Samaj Leicester for their generous donation of £1000 to the Jain Animal Sanctuary. Our special thanks to President Dr. Ramesh Mehta, Mahendrabhai Shah, treasurer and assiatant treasurer Pankajbhai Shah and all the committee members.
2 Navnat Vanik Association for the donation of £500 each from their ‘ Jiv Daya’ fund to YIV and Jain Animal Sanctuary. Our special thanks to President Subashbhai Bakhai, Rameshbai Shah, Jayeshbhai Doshi and all the committee members.
3 Jain Samaj Manchester for the donation of £500 from their ‘ Jiv Daya’ fund to the Jain Animal Sanctuary. Our special thanks to President Piyush Mehta, Treasurer Chandrakantbhai Makim and all the committee members.
4 Jain Association of UK for the kind donation of £701 Our special thanks to President Prem Jain, Jeet Jain, Dr. R.K. Jain, Ritu Shah and all the committee members
5 Arhiant Charitable Trust for the donation of £200 to the Jain Animal Sanctuary. Thank you Mehta family for your continued support.
6 Surrey (Jain) Satsang Mandal for the donation of £1385.55 to the Jain Animal Sanctuary. Special thanks to Manjulaben Shah.