As you are aware, even in countries which are not afflicted by shortages, consumer resistance movement has come to play a vital role. In several advanced countries like the U.S.A., U.K., Canada and Japan the consumer movement has struck deep roots. This brings me to the related question of the goals of a consumer movement in India.
In the present setting, to start with, the consumer movement will be largely preoccupied with putting up resistance to unwarranted price increase by educating the consumers regarding reasonable prices of commodities and bringing to the notice of the authorities cases of malpractices and exploitation. It can also usefully bring to the notice of the concerned authorities areas or regions in which shortages of any essential commodities are likely to develop by factors like transport bottlenecks or delibe efforts at stocking and hoarding by traders. The organisatio have to particularly concentrate its attention at the retail level since a large number of difficulties are experienced by the consumers essentially at this level. It would be a pity if the movement were to ignore many other facets of consumer-trader and consumer-manufacturer relationship which need to be watched on a permanent footing. The more successful consumers movements of the advanced countries are not concerned only with prices. That is only a part of their activities. They attend to other equally important matters like quality control, after-sales service, relative quality-price assessments of comparable products, banning of misleading advertisements, etc., to make the consumer know about what he should buy and where. This movement, if it grows along the right lines, should serve as a deterrent to those unscrupulous elements in the trading society who indulge in malpractices like adulteration, low quality or imitation products, neglect of after-sales service and the like. A consumers' movement if it assumes the role of an effective adviser of the consumers, would- grow into a force of which the trading and the manufacturers community will have to sit up and take notice. Naturally to reach this level of performance and to wield this degree of authority the movement must inspire confidence among the masses. It will, in turn, demand that the members and workers of the movement view this work as a mission and not as a profession. A great deal will depend on the standards you set before yourself in the initial few years.
We have pledged ourselves to a rapid economic growth with social justice in a framework of democracy. And the strength, vitality and resilience of democracy lies in the institutions which its enlightened citizens build up and nurture over a period of time. As I see it, today we are laying a foundation of one more significant institution. It is an expression of our resolve to exert moral force to put down social exploitation. I am glad that the Citizens' Central Council which was established during the last emergency also proposes to adopt this as its major programme of action. It is my fond hope that the Indian Consumers' Union will be eminently successful in its task of educating public opinion in this vital area of welfare.
