GROWTH OF CONSUMER MOVEMENT IN INDIA

Like in many other countries, consumer movement in India as a social force originated with the necessity of protecting and promoting the interest of consumer against fraudulent, unethical and unfair trade practices. The movement initially reflected the common outlook which characterized traders and manufacturers as people who were out to maximise profits by fair means or foul with scant regard for consumers well being.

     GROWTH OF CONSUMER MOVEMENT IN INDIA

Like in many other countries, consumer movement in India as a social force originated with the necessity of protecting and promoting the interest of consumer against fraudulent, unethical and unfair trade practices. The movement initially reflected the common outlook which characterized traders and manufacturers as people who were out to maximise profits by fair means or foul with scant regard for consumers well being. Selective shopping could be the only form of consumer resistance at the early stages, the basic tenet governing the legal position of consumers being 'buyers beware.

PIONEERS IN THE 60S
Over time the movement found expression in efforts to bring pressure on business firms as well as government to correct business conduct that may be unfair and against the interest of consumers at large. Consumer movement as an organised effort may be said to have begun in 1915 when the passengers and Traffic Relief Association was set up in Mumbai. However it was the Consumers Guidance Society of India (CGSI), started in 1966, which made a durable impact. It may be recalled that the consumer movement made rapid strides in United States and West European countries since the 60s and the International Organisation of Consumer Union (ICOCU), now renamed Consumer International was established in 1960.

The CGSI in a few years established several branches of various places to undertake programmes of consumer education, publicity and exhibitions. It also started publishing a magazine Keemat" in English for consumer information. Besides it started testing and reporting the quality of various items of foodstuffs of daily use and at the same time handling consumer complaints. Another organisation that made a strong impact was the Bangalore-based Karnataka Consumer Service Society" (KCSS) formed in 1970. Apart from creating awareness among the public about consumer issues. It also organised seminars in schools on consumer educations.

MOVEMENT GROWS IN 70s

The movement gained momentum in the 70s. In Andhra Pradesh, the Vishakha Consumer Council, set up in Vishakhapatnam in 1973 along with 15 other organisations spearheaded the cause of below poverty line ration card holders vis-à-vis fair price shops, the problems of LPG users and milk distribution problems in different parts of the state. Several organisation set up in the 70s including the Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat (Pune), Mumbai Grahak Panchayat and Grahak Panchayat, Jamshedpur took up the cause of consumers being overcharged by traders for products of daily use, purchasing the items at wholesale rate and selling the same at much lower price. These organisations have also been engaged in conducting programmes of consumer education and consumer aid.
In 1978, the Consumer Education and Research Centre was set-up in Ahmedabad. Since then the Centre regularly uses legal machinery to protect consumer rights and bring about changes. It also undertakes training programmes and engages in activities for creating consumer awareness. It has its own laboratory for testing consumer products like pharmaceuticals, food items and domestic appliances.

EXTENDED OUTREACH IN 80s

A large number of organisations were formed in the 80s. The total number of consumer associations by the end of the last century was estimated at more than 800. Many of the organisations have been consistently engaged in activities concerning consumer issues.
Jagrat Grahak, started in 1980 in Baroda, imparts consumer education through seminars and publications, and runs 45 complaint centres.
Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) was another association that started in 1983 from Jaipur as a small voluntary group of citizens. Today, CUTS has four centres across India- Jaipur, New Delhi, Chittorgarh and Calcutta. It has one centre in Lusaka, Zambia.

Voluntary Organisation in the Interest of Consumer Education (VOICE) was formed in Delhi in 1983, and has since been engaged in promoting and protecting the interest of consumers, besides consumer advocacy. It also publishes two magazines- Consumer Voice in English and Ankit Vani in Hindi.

PAVING ITS WAY INTO THE 21st CENTURY

The consumer movement took another stride in the concluding decade of the last century when several federations of consumer associations were formed to derive the benefits of collective and unified approach. More than a dozen states have formed apex bodies for networking the consumer groups for a common cause. These states include Tamil Nadu, Kerela, Gujrat, Karnataka, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajashthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. While the consumer movement in India has enlarged in scope and coverage during the last two decades.
However out of the 800 odd consumer associations, only few can be regarded as well organised and recognised for the useful work they have been pursuing by educating the consumers, advocating their causes, fighting court cases for them, handling consumer complaints, initiating public interest litigation and representing consumers as members of official committees and consultative bodies.

THE IMPEDIMENTS

However, the movement till now has been confined to the middle class citizens in urban centres by the large. It has yet to spread among the masses in rural and semi-urban areas. Professionalisation of the consumer organisations is also far to be major constraint with most of them. Even as the creation of Consumer Welfare Fund by the Government has helped some of the oganisation by providing grants in aid, memberships subscriptions and donations happens to be the main source of finance for the majority of these voluntary organisations.

CONSUMER GUIDANCE THROUGH PRODUCT TESTING

The beginning of the 1990s was marked by emergence of a novel concept in consumer protection when voluntary organisation in the interest of consumer education (VOICE) started conducting comparative testing of the products available in the market and publishing the results thereof for the benefits of the consumer at large. The chief objective behind this exercise being: to enable the consumers to decide Best Buy" for themselves.

Till date, VOICE has undertaken comparative testing of about a dozen consumer products including colour TV, water filters, dry cell batteries, detergent powder, TV antenna, Paracetamol, iodised salt, electric fan regulator, automatic voltage stabiliser, two-in --one, Lap Top computers, Flatbed Scanners and Ceiling fans.

It was only because of the efforts taken in this direction during the 1990s that the consumers were able to learn that Surf Excel" provides better results than Ariel" while washing clothes in machine and that there choice than the economically priced Nirma when washing clothes by hand.
Similarly, one of the comparative tests conducted by VOICE has proved that lesser popular flatbed scanner" Epson Perfection 1200 Photo" provides the best results as compared to the most popular brand" HP ScanJet". Another test done on various laptop computers provided information to the consumers that why dell Inspiron" is the best choice as compared to others in the market.

To continue with its commitment to provide consumers with the information on ins and outs of all the products, future tests to be carried out by VOICE include products like toilet soaps, toothpastes and talcum powders, biscuits, cooking oil and beverages. Among other products that the organisation proposes to carry tests on in near future like cement, Ketchups, Wheat flour, Mosquito Repellents, Cosmetic Products and domestic appliances.

The result of all such tests are provided to national media with the objective that the some gets disseminated among the consumers. Simultaneously, each issue of consumer voice magazine also carries the results of these tests in details.

You can contact VOICE office at cvoice@vsnl.net or visit www.consumer-voice.org for details or write to Consumer Voice, F-71, Lajpat Nagar-II, New Delhi-110024.