Adite says, she feels like a "queen " consumer. Such success stories not only empower consumers but also empower us, reiterating our faith in our cause and providing crucial inputs to continue our work with renewed vigour. We are very often told by sceptics among our friends that we are a bunch of Don Quixotes tilting at imaginary windmills. We being the breed we are, are seldom swayed by these digs at our cho- sen work. But it does us plenty of good to succeed once in a while.
Through our comparativete$ting project and legal advice for our members, we are constantly being surprised Qysome, what we call, unexpected positive feedback from the industry and the market. We are inundated in our work with exposure to malpractices, fraud, cheating, misleading information, a shameless and relentless quest for profit, and similar distressing evidence of human activity in market places. But we are also sometimes stopped in our tracks by some sensitive responses from manufacturers and dealers. They not only respond, to disagree, but also to acknowl- edge, applaud, and endorse our work and efforts on behalf of consumers. They sometime agree to correct themselves or to pay up, as in Adite and Praveen Sharma's case (Aquagard repair -Mar-Apri12003 issue). Both these cases were about big corporate entities -the Citibank and Eureka Forbes. Both these consumers are able and educated members of our society but had still been victimised by the system.
They tell us that with our help they have managed not only to be heard, but also to be compensated. We share their good feeling, more so because these days life is becoming increasingly hard for the Delhi consumer. First the auto strike, then the truckers stir, and now electricity and water. It is all the more distressing because we are all educated members of our society, residing in the capital of India. If our plight is so pitiable, the plight of other consumers, elsewhere can only be imagined.
The fault, however, is not only with the system but also with us all. Otherwise how can we, who are blessed with the proximity of the holy Yamuna, be water- starved? Its our consumption and disposal patterns which have killed a once mighty river. It is because of what we consumers have done to all our rivers, that we are without water in the midst of summer. It is our ongoing onslaught on the environ- ment that is depriving us of the monsoon cycles.
However, Delhi has just been given the .'clean city" award for our CNG buses. We also have our metro, though the life of nipst Delhi consumers is unaffected by its arrival in their midst. Actually there are so many of us around that whatever is there is somewhat short of what is required. These shortfalls affect the quality of our lives, which is what most consumers are looking for, and what we want to add to their lives.
May our goals meet someday, somehow, somewhere.
With children at home for at least two months during summer vacations, we thought we'd put some focus on them. Read our stories on school meals and how to help your child become a smart consumer.
We are very privileged to introduce two new faces amongst our regulars. Finance is Monika Halanand the other dealing with autos and 'matters pertaining to move- ment of people and goods in and around India', is Veeresh Malik. Both columns will be interactive, in the sense, that if you have any questions that they can answer, please ask away. For that you can write directly to them or to me at !oopavajpeyi@Vsnl.com and editorial@consum~r-voice.org. Both of them are free- lancers and besides writing for several publications, also write for Outlook Money.
The Nimesulide story involves several angles in the Indian scenario: regulatory, ethical, legal and medical. We try to bring a fair assessment. However it is best to be an aware consumer in matters of health.
Since our test story is on CTVs, we bring you information on advanced technolo- gies, as well as advertising impact especially on children and the environment.
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