How did your association with the consumer movement begin?
It started with a professional assignment in 1987, when MGP asked me to train some of its activists in publicspeaking. The simple, sincere and unassuming dedication of the office bearers impressed me and I got drawn into the organisation. I learnt a lot about the consumer movement from Ashok Ravat, and about law in general and consumer laws from my friend Shirish Deshpande. Then one day, Shirish asked me to go in his place and represent a consumer at a consumer court hearing. Fortunately, I did well there. Then the bug bit me! I began getting opportunities to participate in more consumer court cases and educational activities. I held talks, made television appearances, even wrote...it seems to have become a lifelong association.

Is industry, by and large, serious about observing fair trade practices?
Industry is not sufficiently serious about observing fair trade practices, in my opinion. But there are a few candles in the darkness. The Council for Fair Business Practices has been spreading awareness in the industry, along with voluntary consumer organisations like the MGP. One wishes more power to them.Also, some state chambers of commerce have consumer cells/committees. The committees hold meetings and seminars. But more often than not, they stop short of pulling up their own errant members for unfair trade practices. They even refuse to acknowledge that this is so. At such times one wonders about their seriousness.

How far does the Council for Fair Trade Practices actually work?
I cannot claim to have detailed knowledge of its working. However, I gather that they do help consumers who write to them about their problems. Their approach is one of mediation and they have been successful in many cases. In addition, they have also helped SNDT University set up a Food Products Testing Laboratory, which I think is a significant contribution.

Where do most companies fail: commitment or resources?
Both. The primary reason is the ignorance of the eight rights of the consumer. It would be interesting to ask any 200 CEOs whether they know their rights as consumers. The results of such asurvey, I am sure, would be shocking. Thus, what one does not know one cannot have a commitment to. And when one does not have a commitment one does not allocate resources.

What are the ways in which consumers are routinely cheated, and how can they seek redressal? Is the redressal procedure too cumbersome?
They are cheated in so many ways! The common thing is overcharging. The amount of this account itself will run into several crores. `MRP inclusive of taxes' was a device to protect consumers. But this itself has become a means of exploitation. The manufacturers print the price using as its basis the highest tax rate prevailing in the country. The retailers do not charge a reasonable price (less than maximum), but the maximum one. The fleecing is colossal.

The second common way is making false promises which attract consumers. So computer coaching institutes promise jobs immediately after passing. They promise to coach people in advanced programming and may give nothing more than rudimentaryknowledge. It is not uncommon to see students of the previous batch becoming instructors in the following one.

Another way is to make the consumer sign a one-sided contract. The recent scandal of Timeshare resorts is one such example in which hundreds of consumers were baited and trapped.

Yet another thing to do is to trigger the need of the consumer so that he casts aside all reasoning and gets hooked. Thus you see several `get rich quick' schemes, the promoters of which eventually disappear or declare themselves insolvent.

One can take recourse to mediation by consumer organisations or litigation in consumer courts if one moves promptly. But one thing the victim must unfailingly do, that is, shout about such unscrupulous businessmen and organisations on all platforms so that others don't fall prey. This they most often fail to do.

Has the consumer movement in India percolated into the collective consciousness? Are people more inclined to ask for their rights and observe their duties as consumerstoday?
No. Thanks to our vast population and illiteracy, not to mention apathy and an ability to tolerate nonsense.