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Protecting the consumer

Most traders display a poster proclaiming that the 'customer is king' but is this the reality? The consumer is at the mercy of traders, some of whom resort to unjustified price increases and outright fraud to earn a few rupees more by devious means. This is where consumer rights, a relatively new concept in Sri Lanka, come in.

As the lead article on this page indicates, consumers' rights play a major role in modern society. The Sri Lankan public, though knowledgable, do not usually take the trouble to seek action against traders who dupe them. This should not be the case as the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) is fully geared to handle such complaints and dispense justice. Lankan consumers should try to find out what their rights are and learn to fight injustices or seek redress. Most consumers will be reluctant to fight errant traders on their own, but collective action could be an appealing prospect. This is why the CAA is engaged in a strong awareness campaign and creating consumer societies in every district. The societies will hopefully become potent weapons in the hands of consumers seeking redress for their grievances.

Protecting the consumer from various scams practised by unscrupulous traders is vital. Recently, the police busted a major racket where several traders altered the expiry of dates of food and medicinal items using sophisticated machines. Had they continued, unsuspecting consumers could have been exposed to a major health risk. This is only of the ruses practised by certain traders, the oldest trick being under-weighing loose groceries such as sugar and flour.

Many traders are in the habit of jacking up prices of many items without any apparent reason. This may be unavoidable to a certain extent as price controls are no longer in place for many items. Still, the Government has imposed controls on a few highly essential items (fuel, flour, LP Gas etc) for the benefit of the consumer. But the authorities should ensure that no retailer arbitrarily raises prices of goods at a time when the Government is striving to bring down the cost of living.

This is no doubt an unenviable task, as there are many factors beyond the authorities' control such as the recent steep rise in oil prices in the world market. The Government is subsidising several items including diesel to minimise the consumers' burden. It also deserves plaudits for appointing a high-powered committee to examine ways and means of bringing down the cost of living.

Bringing down the COL and protecting the consumer constitute a two-pronged strategy of the Government. It should explore the possibility of granting wider powers to the CAA and other relevant institutions in this praiseworthy quest.

Save the indigenous peoples

For far too long indigenous peoples' lands have been taken away, their cultures denigrated, their language and customs suppressed and their wisdom and traditional knowledge overlooked. This is how UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has described the plight of indigenous peoples the world over.

In his message on the 10th anniversary of the International Day of the World's Indigenous People, Annan has called on Governments and societies to work towards empowering indigenous peoples and ensuring their participation in decisions that affect their lives.

His call for urgent action regarding the native peoples could not have been more timely. Many indigenous tribes and their unique languages are facing the threat of extinction. In many countries, the authorities have forced them to integrate with the rest of society, leading to the gradual disappearance of indigenous customs. They are marginalised and suppressed by the majority communities in many countries.

The aborigines in Australia, the Maoris in New Zealand, the Indians in Canada and the US, the Amazon tribes in Brazil, the hill tribes in Asia and the Bedouins in Africa face a multitude of challenges in a globalised world.

Indeed, indigenous people all over the world are being assailed by the forces of modern economics. This is an alien concept to these communities which had survived for thousands of years without depending on money. They still cling on to values forgotten by the rest of the world, such as family bonds and sharing and caring. But the lure of greener pastures has led to an exodus of youngsters from certain indigenous communities, threatening their very survival as distinct groups.

Sri Lanka's own indigenous people - Vanniyela Aththo - too have undergone trials and tribulations as they co-exist with the mainstream society. Authorities have tried to assimilate them to the mainstream population, but the Vanniyela Aththo see this as an affront to their way of life. They want to continue their traditional ways of life, without undue 'modern' influences.

Incidentally, today (August 9), has been declared as "Aadivasi (First Citizens) Day" in Sri Lanka and Natural Resources and Environment Minister A.H.M. Fowzie will visit Dambana to meet the Vanniyela Aththo. The Vanniyela Aththo have informed Minister Fowzie about the many difficulties encountered by their 234 families in leading a traditional forest life and in the performance of their tribal rituals due to bureaucratic interference.

They had requested legal protection to continue to look after the forests and to lead their normal lives peacefully. The authorities should look into their grievances and take corrective action before they become a distant memory.

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