Vegan Advocacy Award by HSI to recognise plant-based warriors in India

March 20th, 2023

Humane Society International/India (HSI), a prominent animal protection organisation, has recently launched the Swarnali Roy Award for Vegan Advocacy. The award aims to acknowledge plant-based advocates who contribute significantly to the animal protection movement in the country. Nominations for this year are being accepted now.

Any Indian resident above 18 years of age who promotes a vegan or plant-based lifestyle in their city, state, or across the country will be eligible for the nominations. The award will be given in three ranks: the first-place awardee will receive Rs 50,000, the second will receive Rs 30,000, and the third will receive Rs 20,000.

The award is a tribute to the late Swarnali Roy, who was an employee of HSI and led the plant-based outreach program in India until her death in 2021. Swarnali's work laid a strong foundation for plant-based campaigns in India, paving the way for reducing cruelty in intensive animal agriculture systems.

Alokparna Sengupta, managing director of HSI India, says, “Swarnali was a passionate advocate for animals. Under her mentorship, the animal protection movement welcomed many young individuals who continue to work on advocating for a plant-based future. So, we thought it only right to honour her memory by supporting the work of the rising generation of advocates.”

The first set of awards will be announced on April 5th, which is also Swarnali's birthday, and continue every year thereafter. To evaluate and select the winners, a five-panel jury consisting of vegan enthusiasts, leaders, and advocates will join an HSI India representative. 

Other jury members will include Abhay Rangan, founder of One Good, Palak Mehta, founder of Vegan First, Nikunj Sharma, CEO of Mercy for Animals India Foundation, and Parag Agarwal, founder of India Animal Fund.

If you or someone you know meets the eligibility requirements, you can nominate them by filling out the form available on HSI's website hsi.org by March 25, 2023. Hurry up, as nominations close in another five days!