|
|
|
Assert Your Rights
|
|
 What
is happening in this country? Just some
time ago the manner in which commercially oriented companies
were making money at the cost of the customer by selling him
'mineral' water in which 'minerals' were absent but pesticides
and contaminants were present had hit the headlines. There was
a lot of noise, in Parliament and outside, but nothing else
happened. After making the usual gestures, and after the
public refrained from 'mineral water' for a few days,
everything came back to normal. Now it is cold drinks
manufactured by Coca Cola and Pepsico. An NGO has discovered
large amounts of dangerous pesticides in the products that are
guzzled by millions and millions of people in this country,
including children. How many of them are developing the
dangerous diseases associated with these pesticides can only
be guessed, but there is no denying the fact that the general
health of the country has gone down. It is not that the cold
drinks are the only factor responsible for this. The fact
remains that no one is bothered about the health of the
nation. Neither the consumers, neither the administrators and
neither the politicians.
It is time we got out of this malaise and
learnt to fight for our rights. We must learn to protect the
health of our children. We must learn to stand up and assert
ourselves.
This is the only reason why we are in the
state we are in. Anybody can do anything and get away with it.
An autorickshaw driver can ask for any amount. A shopkeeper
may charge more than is warranted. An unscrupulous
manufacturer can sell us spurious and deadly food and
beverages. We will simple gobble them up. All this must
change. |
|
Sunil Dang
Editor-in-Chief |
|
|
