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World Consumer Rights Day

By S Mukhtar. Dated: 3/14/2017 12:25:05 PM

"Great Uncle, 15 March is World Consumer Rights Day."
"Yes."
"But how come the Day, when?"
"Dear, back to 15 March 1962. That day US President John F Kennedy in his address to the US Congress formally addressed the issue of consumer rights also…before that no world leader had raised the issue anywhere. And then the first World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) was observed on 15 March 1983 and since has been observed annually."
"Uncle, what are the objectives of observing the Day?"
"Well, dear, President Kennedy, in his aforesaid address, outlined what consumer rights are and he gave four basic rights to the US consumer, namely: Right to safety, Right to choose, Right to information, Right to be heard. And the Day aims at these objectives."
"Uncle, a US affair it was, right, but then how come the international Day?"
"Dear, this US movement instantly got wings, soon became international, and World Consumer Rights Day came to be observed round the globe in order to achieve these very objectives. The Day now is an annual global opportunity to promote the basic rights of all consumers, see that these rights are respected and protected, to protest against the market abuses, to strengthen solidarity within the international consumer rights movement, and for planning and mobilising further global peoples action."
"Uncle, any yearly themes of the Day?"
"Sure, yes, some Days' themes here. Year 2017: Building a Digital World Consumers can Trust; 2010: Our money, our rights; 2007: Unethical Drug Promotion; 2004: Consumers and water."
"Good themes. Who selects them?"
"Consumers International does it."
"But what is that?"
"Consumers International is the only independent and authoritative global voice for consumers. Founded in 1960, now having 220 member organizations in 115 countries, is the world federation of consumer groups. And this has organized each and every World Consumer Rights Day."
"But, Great Uncle, how is the World Consumer Rights Day actually observed?"
"Yes. Worldwide, you see, consumer organizations, using also the precious materials produced by Consumers International for greatest possible impact, hold press conferences, public exhibitions, workshops, street events, launch related new publications, other special campaigns too, and generate possible local initiatives. The underlying aim always and everywhere has been the critically needed benefits for consumers."
"Great Uncle, tell them all to act first and fast in our homeland Kashmir and particularly in our medical world."
"But why that?"
"As if you don't know. Sham spurious drugs, ever and everywhere, occasionally a retailer here or there caught, case launched, retailer fined, soon let free, selling the same spurious stuff again, at the cost of health even life of the consumers, and no one ever caring wherefrom the sham drugs came, who manufactured them, and tell them to have all such manufacturers identified and hanged to death in full public view, yes, on the coming World Consumer Rights Day itself. And then I would cry out my loudest Thank God and Thanks to Government. Till then this is all just a formal Day just a formal observance."