New Delhi, Oct. 22 -- In 2025, Bengaluru-based Sylvia Karpagam's post on X (formerly Twitter) turned into a controversy when she said that curd, paneer, milk and other dairy-based foods are not vegetarian. The comment sent "pure vegetarians" into a frenzy and had vegans quietly nodding in agreement.

The public health doctor who is an MD in community medicine with over two decades of experience, isn't gentle with either side. Through her work-Karpagam is also the working editor of the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics-articles and social media posts, she criticises the imposition of vegetarianism, vegan activists and government policies that cater to specific food practices, ignoring the dietary habits of Dalits, indigenous and minority co...