Vaibhav Upadhyay won the men’s contest.
A 23-year-old law student from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, has won the ‘PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) India’s Cutest Vegetarian Next Door’ online contest. Allankrita Sarkar beat 9 other female finalists to win the contest. In men’s category, 24-year-old Vaibhav Upadhyay of Indore won the contest.
Both will be featured on PETA’s website and will receive a certificate, a sash, and a trophy reported The Hindustan Times.
The contest was conducted to spread awareness about animal abuse and urge people to go vegetarian.
“I am a vegetarian since I was in class sixth [when] I saw a chicken being weighted down to cut at a nearby meat shop,” said Sarkar.
“I feel that I won this competition as the blessings of animals are very powerful. I have a strong connection with animals and yes, my friends and relatives also voted for me. Winning this contest will hopefully help me in raising people’s awareness regarding animals. I am looking forward to helping more animals in need,” she added.
She is taking care of 8-10 street dogs in her locality along with her three pets.
“I feed all the dogs of my locality and look after their basic first aid. I also create shelters for them during winters. People in my locality call me if they find any animal in distress,” she told Hindustan Times.
“Sarkar is healthy and kind, and that makes her even more attractive in our book”, says PETA India Campaigns Coordinator Neerja Khede.
Coming from a vegetarian family, Upadhyay believes that “the beauty of nature lies in the animals and plants.
“I strongly oppose harming and killing of animals and ask every single person I meet to turn into a vegetarian,” he said.
According to PETA, the consumption of animal-derived foods contributes to a person’s risk of developing cancer, heart disease, obesity, and many other ailments. A plant-based lifestyle can give us clearer skin, help prevents heart attacks, and even reverse heart disease.