What?
March 15 every year is celebrated for each of us in the role of a consumer, and has been so from last 38 years.
Inspiration behind the day
President John F Kennedy gave a special message to the US Congress on this day in the year 1962. He talked about consumer rights and the importance of the same.
He was the first world leader to talk about the topic.
Role of organisations
On this day, various related organisations and NGOs (not-for-profit organizations) have events to spread awareness about the rights of every individual as a consumer.
An international organisation Consumer International is active in this mission, not only on this special day of March 15, but throughout the year
Annual Themes
The event of World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated with a specific theme each year.
2021 – The scourge of plastic
This year’s (2021) theme is on the bane of environment and the exemplar of convenience at the same time – plastic.
We all know how this versatile product can be used in an infinite number of ways.
But, the same durability of the chemical is also the reason for its becoming a thorn in our mother nature’s eye.
In this day and age there is not a single square kilometre of Earth which is not infested with platic. For instance, when some deep sea divers went exploring the sea bottom, there were plastic soft-drink bottles, polythene bags, and used tyres lying on the floor.
“Disposable” does not mean degradable
No doubt, plastic was a revolution when it was created owing to its sturdiness, durability, and malleability.
But, we need to unlearn what we have been taught and see plastic for what it is – it is immortal and is not going away.
Statements on the day
Helena Leurent, Director General of Consumers International, said in a message on World Consumer Rights Day, “Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing issues facing our planet. Consumer awareness of the plastics crisis is growing around the world. Consumers have a critical role in shaping the marketplace, and we must support them to mobilise businesses and governments, to ensure sustainable consumption is accessible to all.”
The 7 R’s
Now, in this we need the following 7 R’s to take care of our Mother Earth, if not for your children, then for ourselves at least:
Replace
Rethink
Refuse
Reduce
Reuse
Repair
Social Media
The hashtag #WorldConsumerRightsDay was trending on Twitter earlier this day.
Summary of the tweets: While most tweets were along the expected lines showcasing and encouraging to refrain from plastic usage and also follow the 7 R’s, some netizens, especially those who speak Kannada are demanding that every commercial enterprise interact with them in Kannada, while another section are sharing satire on Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The tweets:
On the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day let us take a pledge to assert all our rights and be an aware and empowered consumer.#WorldConsumerRightsDay #consumerrightsday #ConsumerRights #Consumer pic.twitter.com/wXlIqoR1J9
— Office of Raosaheb Patil Danve (@raosaheboffice) March 15, 2021
World Consumer Rights Day Mon 15th March 2021 this year’s theme is Tacking Plastic Pollution @Consumers_Int are highlighting their 7 R’s - Replace, Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repair. Read more: https://t.co/7uoN4qc6qF #WorldConsumerRightsDay #NoPlasticPollution pic.twitter.com/H4NHCnG0pa
— The Highland Council (@HighlandCouncil) March 15, 2021
Greetings on #WorldConsumerRightsDay!
— Man Kumar (@themankumar) March 15, 2021
On this day, I urge you to unite in #TacklingPlasticPollution.
We as consumers have the power and duty to choose responsibly - paving the way for a green and sustainable marketplace.@GretaThunberg pic.twitter.com/sedqf2wjSH
Without consumers, all the businesses of the market would have vanished. They are the supreme of this demand supply chain
— Dr. Premsai Singh (@Drpremsaisingh) March 15, 2021
It takes honesty & gentleness to make a consumer happy
Happy World Consumer Rights Day!#WorldConsumerRightsDay2021 #WorldConsumerRightsDay pic.twitter.com/ygxy8clmSM
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 #WorldConsumerRightsDay , let Us 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 Ourselves by 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 Our 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 and Exercising Them‼
— Shailesh_BBK (@shailesh_BBK) March 15, 2021
𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 #BankStrike 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: 10 Lakh Employees Protest 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻‼
👉#IndiaAgainstPrivatisation 👈 pic.twitter.com/XAesP91u1s