Animal rights body PETA-India has urged the Centre to announce a nationwide ban on meat advertisements across billboards, television, print, and digital platforms starting October 2. It said such a move would honour Mahatma Gandhi’s commitment to ‘ahimsa’ (non-violence).In a letter to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the organisation raised concerns over antimicrobial resistance, diet-related diseases and the pandemic potential of H5N1 bird flu, saying intensive animal farming and poultry markets could contribute to the spread of infectious diseases.PETA cited estimates that about 73 per cent of antimicrobials globally were used in animals raised for food, and said the projections had warned that antimicrobial resistance could cause around 2 million deaths in India by 2050.Aligning the proposal with Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary on October 2, the organisation urged the Centre to enforce the prohibition on ethical, public health and environmental grounds, invoking Gandhi’s core philosophy of ‘ahimsa’ and highlighting India’s heritage of plant-based culinary traditions.”European cities such as Haarlem, Utrecht, Amsterdam and Nijmegen have also implemented or proposed restrictions on meat advertising to combat climate change,” the letter read. “India also has a centuries-old tradition of meat-free eating rooted in ahimsa and is home to the world’s largest population of vegetarians,.”The plea underlined that diet-related diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, certain cancers and obesity, were also a growing concern in India, with around a quarter of all heart attacks in Indian men occurring in persons under 40.Citing the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, PETA said, “Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer and obesity.”PETA India Senior Manager of Vegan and Corporate Projects Kiran Ahuja noted that India could lead global sustainability efforts by adopting similar bans, pointing to the plant-based banquets served during international diplomatic events—such as PM Narendra Modi hosting world leaders at the BRICS Summit—as a template for national policy.“Every advertisement for meat promotes a product that harms animals, human health and the environment and requires animals to suffer. PETA-India is requesting that Gandhiji’s legacy of non-violence be honoured by ending meat advertising in the country and encouraging the compassionate, healthy and sustainable meat-free food traditions India has long shared with the world,” said Ahuja. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is yet to comment on the proposal.