The markets are all geared up to cater to a million demands of consumers. From food, apparel and home decoration, to ideas for gifts - the market is replete with products Its usual mix of sales, discounts and special offers is screaming from every roadside billboard and TV ads.... but the signals from the market indicate, that there are no buyers. In the current atmosphere of insecurity and threat of war, the Indian consumer's response to market hype is very subdued, to put it mildly. Time and again, it is seen that Indian consumers, though an amorphous lot, are emerging as a mass with a definitive character.

First of all it is not easy to dupe them, even though there is the perception that there are big gaps in consumer awareness and education. Secondly consumers themselves tend to regulate their inclination to splurge. While we Indians revel in celebration, we also clamp down on excess in times of crisis and emergency. We voluntarily give up our hard-earned privileges. Our children show great initiative in campaigning for protecting the rights of the poor children employed in hazardous industries, such as the fireworks industry.

People, although supposedly unaware and lacking in education, have always shown tremendous Willingness to co-operate in any area where improvement is envisaged. The lack of proper political will and poor mechanisms of governance are more responsible than anything else for lack of visible quality in our lives. The market in its unabashed pursuit of profit, whether in festival time or in times of war, is forging ahead with ever news ways of cashing in on consumer vulnerabilities.

P.F.A has issued warnings of rampant adulteration in food products of daily consumption from items like 'daals' grains, Hours and 'ghee' to packaged sweets and savouries. These are all packaged attractively and doused in lethal colours to give last years left- overs a new shine. Markets are busy passing off a variety of unsafe products to consumers who shop in a hurry during this time. We bring you regular information on how to cope and make informed choices. We hope it all helps.

Meanwhile market entrepreneurs especially in the US, are cashing in on the fear syndrome triggered and fuelled by terrorist activities. Parachutes for high-rise buildings, masks and gloves for anthrax, pills, sell-help kits etc. are flooding the market In every disaster the market only looks for chinks to push in products and yet more, products which have no enduring use. They only exploit anxiety, tear, ignorance and provide false placebos for deep-seated malaise. Its task in not to find solutions, but only to provide comfort in buying.Consumers feel assured if they can go out and spend money to bring home anything which promises to stem the confusion felt in uncertain times.

In the U.S. during the holiday season, starting now, is being promoted as "the good fight" and consumers are actually being encouraged to go against the instinctive reluctance to go out and buy to forget not only the war but also to boost the economy. Nobody has thought of any austerity measures. Isn't something awry here?

We wish you the best in this season of mixed blessings and hope that sanity will prevail all round.