Notes and Comments
CONSUMER. MOVEMENT AND SOVEREIGNTY
The term 'consumer' includes in the broad sense every
human being. The ultimate success of any consumer movement
depends more upon a broad based approach to the welfare of
human being.
The meaning and scope of consumer movement vary from
person to person depending upon one's philisophy, attitude and
way of thinking. Hence, the term "consumer movement" may
mean the same in all contexts to some, but differently to others
in different contexts.
The definition of consumer movement as an organised
expression for an improved quality of life appears to be a comprehensive one.
`Consumer Sovereignty' means supremacy of the consumer;
the consumer is the king and the seller is only his obedient servant. This again means, that the traditional solgan caveat emptor - let the buyer beware' - should be replaced by the slogan
caveat venditor - let the seller beware'. Will it be possible for
us to reach such a stage any time? If so when and how?
Consumer movement has been the necessary outcome of
industrial and technological development. As the industrial
society grew bigger the workers had to unite to get better bargaining power. The result was trade union movement. The same
way as the manufacturers or sellers became bigger and stronger
the natural outcome was the consumer movement. When the
workers had to fight for better working conditions and compensation, consumers had to organise against under weights and
measures, shoddy workmanship, product failures, sub-standard
goods, imitation of popular goods, deceptive packaging, aggres-
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319
sive selling, hoarding, bait mail order sellings, deceptive hirepurchase arrangements, concealed monopolies, cartels, restrictive
trade arrangements and poor transportation services.
At the first stage of the consumer movement there arose wildcat protests from consumers regarding adulteration, price increase,
inadequate supplies, poor services and the like. A few concerned citizens took up consumers' issues and highlighted them
through the press and other media. At the second stage, say,
popular stage, groups of consumers and community associations
took up the issues of consumers. At the third stage, the 'organisation stage', the emergence of Consumer Guidance Societies,
Consumer Education Societies and Protection Societies provided
effective support to the movement with the help of professional
staff. The fourth stage, envisages a governmental set up to take
care of consumer protection as a routine public service function.
In developed countries like the USA, UK and Australia consumer movement has reached the fourth stage. The International Organisation of Consumers Unions was formed in Hague
by consumer groups of the USA, UK, Australia, Belgium and
Netherlands, with a view to promoting world-wide co-operation
in consumer information, education and comparative testing of
goods and services. In India, consumer movement is only in its
infant stage. There are' several recognised consumer organisations in India, 1 which are affiliated to the Indian Federation
of Consumer Organisations, New Delhi.2
They are: Consumer Education and Research Centre, Ahmedabad;
Consumer Council of India, Madras; Visakha Consumers Council,
Vishakapattnam; Surat Grahak Mandal, Surat; Consumer Action
Form, Calcutta; Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat, Pune; Karnataka Consumer Service Society, Bangalore; Consumer Association,
Madras; Consumer Guidance Society of India, Bombay; National
Consumer Council, Madras; Consumer Action Group, Bombay;
Consumer Guidance Centre, Cochin; Indian Institute of Consumer.
Protection Studies, Madras; Consumer Association of Eastern India,
Calcutta; Consumer Service Society, Delhi; Garhak Panchayat,
Bombay; Consumer Societies in Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Sungali,
Pune, Dandell, Thane and Delhi; and Indian Federation of Consumer Organisations, Delhi.
The objectives of Indian Federation of Consumer Organisations
(f. n. contd.)
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All over the world there are three basic groups of consumerists, namely adaptionists, protectionists and reformers. The
basic premise under which adaptionists operate is, that the circumstances generated by the sellers are such to which consumers
should adapt themselves as intelligently as possible. Consequently, they emphasize on consumer education to help buyers
avoid fraud and deception, rather than on additional legislation for consumer protection. The protectionists concentrate on
consumer health and safety. Their activities are confined to the
field of harmful food ingredients. As the issues involved herein
are scientific and technical the protectionists include technicians,
scientists, physicians, engineers and professional experts. Reformists are concerned with the broader spectrum of issues
relating to the entire seller-consumer relationship, besides seeking improvement in consumer guidance, education and protection of their health and safety. The major aspect of their task
is delineation of consumer rights vis-a-vis those of seller. Among
these rights are the right to access to government information
on matters relating to consumer welfare, and the right to have
more accurate product information.
Consumer organisation can only guide the consumers. Consumer protection requires the whole-hearted support of the business community through self-regulation, legislative support of
the government through appropriate enactments and ultimately
the right attitude of the consumer towards the need for controlling aspirations.
The net effect of consumer movement has only been marginal anywhere in the world. Consumer organisations in the
developed countries have, no doubt, succeeded to a great extent
in influencing the government to bring out various protective
legislation, in providing guidance to consumers and in persuading the business to evolve self-regulations. Yet, consumer very
seldom gets value satisfaction.
include protecting and promoting consumer rights; informing, educating and guiding consumer in rational buying; representing consumer interest in industrial and commercial houses; and influencing
business community for self-purification.
•
NOTES AND COMMENTS 321
To make the movement more effective the objective of the
movement itself should be redefined. The term "consumer"
should be defined. Consumer is different from customer. Consumerism is different from customerism. A consumer is normally
a customer of thousands of commodities or products. Of course,
in India, those who live below poverty line constitute about
60% of the population. They consume or can afford to consume
only a few items in the market. They will be contended, if they get
these items in right quantity at a subsidised price or free of charge.
Only a few, who have the discretionary buying power, clamour
for protection from exploitation. Whatever may be the level of
income, consumers are becoming less and less contented than
they were. It seems for many, contentment is inversely proportionate to the increase in income and to the increase in the level
of sophistication. The consumer movement can be more effective
if only it can assure real improvement in the quality of life of
the consumer as a person.
The conventional philosophy of consumer movement is
that the consumer should get a fair deal in the market place. It
also assumes that the degree of human welfare is directly proportionate to the increase in the consumption of material goods.
These assumptions have not taken us anywhere near consumer
satisfaction or sovereignty. In our anxiety to secure more and
more material goods we have forgotten the environment which
support human life. We have increased the production of goods
which satisfy our superficial needs or which are injurious in the
long run, to our material and mental well-being. The future goal
of consumerism should be to improve the quality of life. This
goal should be divided into two; the short term goal and the
long term goal.
The short-term objectives should be to educate the consumers about their rights; to guide them in getting optimum
benefit from the products; to help them to distinguish the harmful products from the useful products; and to expose them to
de-marketing and counter-marketing policies of the government
and the strategies of the business community.
The long-term objectives should be to get proper representation in business and government bodies with a view to
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fighting for the quality of life; to develop case histories with a
view to projecting the need for controlling aspirations; to promote
austerity in the minds of consumers for better contentment and
quality of life; and to lead the consumer to consumer sovereignty.
N. RANGANATHAN*
*
M.Com .; M.B.A. (Cincinnati); Professor, School of Management
Studies, University of Cochin.