Gandhi’s food was his message too

In keeping with his views of non-violence, he had never been able to countenance non-vegetarianism. And the one time he tried to have meat, the experiment ended in disaster, with him imagining the goat bleating in his stomach all night.

His experiments with food, though, started when he was in England studying law.

After partaking of eggs for a while, under the notion that procuring eggs did not involve violence, he soon gave it up when he realised that it violated the spirit of his vow of vegetarianism given to his mother.

In his search for vegetarian food, he came across a vegetarian restaurant where he found diehard patrons and joined a vegetarian society.

Deliberating on his newly-acquired habit of drinking tea and coffee, he decided instead to drink cocoa.

It was in England that he decided to avoid condiments and spices. Even in later years, he was convinced that this was a very positive decision.

For a long time Gandhiji gave up drinking milk since he was greatly disturbed by the cruel manner in which cows and buffalos were treated to extract milk. Once, however, he fell seriously ill partly due to his experiments with his diet. Hopes for a healthy recovery were not very encouraging and he was under great pressure to change his dietary habits.

Friends and well wishers suggested that he take brandy or non-vegetarian broth.

But he would have none of it and then Kasturba —practical as ever — saved the day. She advised that his “vow was made in the context of cows and buffalos” and that he “did not have goats in mind”.

He then agreed to take goat’s milk, and continued the practice for the rest of his life.

His goat even followed him to England when he went for the Round Table conference!

As a footnote to the episode, he put it on record that he had fallen in his own estimation. His justification for the breaking of this vow was his strong desire to recover so that he could fight the Rowlatt Act.

Gandhiji also believed that a true vegetarian should not eat vegetables since this also involves some violence.

But he did add that eating vegetables involved less violence than eating meat and that a satyagrahi should always choose the lesser evil.

The story of Gandhiji’s experiments with diet is as fascinating as it is extensive. It can go on endlessly. For now, I would to add that one of his most popular books was the one that he wrote on good health through a good diet. It was read the world over.

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