“The consumer movement arose out of dissatisfaction of the consumers”. Justify the statement with arguments.

1. Food shortages, hoarding, black marketing, adulteration of food and edible oil were the activities taking place in the market that majorly were responsible for the rise of the consumer movement in an organised form in the 1960s.

2. In its early phase, consumer organisations were mainly engaged in writing articles and holding exhibitions. Groups were formed to look into the malpractices in ration shops overcrowding in the road passenger transport.

3. The consumer movement typically arose as a ‘social force’ with the necessity of protecting and promoting the interests of consumers against unethical and unfair trade practices. Eventually, because of the active efforts of the various groups and movements, a major step i.e. the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act 1986 (COPRA) was taken by the Indian Government.

NOTE – The unfair manner in which markets worked was a major cause for the rise of the consumer movement in India. Exploitation took place in various ways, for example, shopkeepers weighed less than what they should or traders added charges that were not mentioned before or the selling of adulterated/ defective goods.