1) Festival gifts are social evil and bribes
Festival gifts like on Diwali to those in public and public sector are no less than bribes. These are given to persons in legislature, bureaucracy and even in judiciary also, with most of them accepting these having expectation in advance. Quoting from Hindu code in Manusmriti, the then President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam on his retirement eve rightly analysed that gift coming with a purpose causes person losing their personality greatly.
The Central government should immediately much before Diwali and forthcoming marriage season issue a strict warning order under Prevention of Corruption Act against giving and accepting any gifts by those being paid from public exchequers. Both those gifting and accepting should be booked under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code. Central Vigilance Commission can also issue such advisories. Such orders and advisories should be prominently publicised through print and electronic media. Exchange of gifts is also responsible for massive traffic jams during festive season resulting in unnecessary spent of imported fuel and man-hours.
Since the society does not reform itself, the central government should impose a total ban on gifts, cash-envelopes, costly platters by non-relations at family functions and festivals. It may be made compulsory to provide details of gifts given and received in Income Tax returns.
In the earlier time, the system was devised for a noble cause of assisting non-affording ones to perform marriages of daughters. But with changing time, cash envelopes and costly gifts have become a show of unholy status which in fact is a forced and compulsory burden especially for the middle-income in a status-conscious society. All this is responsible for taking the birth of a girl child in a family as a bane rather than a boon. Banning gifts will make people enjoy such functions with a happy mindset without realising it as a burden to attend such functions.
– Subhash Chandra Agrawal
2) Abnormal heavy discounts on on-line sale
Multipage super costly advertisements were seen in leading newspapers offering extraordinary heavy discounts on popular branded electrical and electronics items. Even extra heavy discount is added if items are purchased through credit cards issued by some specific banks.
Discussion with dealers all over the capital city of Delhi investing hugely for the trade of these items revealed that companies sell all their obsolete models and returned items after claim lodged by consumers through such online sale. If it is really so, then all such media publicity should be directed to compulsorily boldly mention about such bitter reality. Obsolete models and returned items on claim can then also be sold through dealer network abolishing warranty conditions and clearly mentioned on items and invoices about discounted rates, where consumers will be an advantage on selecting required items by seeing in showrooms of dealers.
Department of Consumer Affairs should make proper study report on an aspect of extraordinary heavy discounts through online sale, and logic behind banks giving extra discounts if such online purchase is made through their credit cards.
– Madhu Agrawal
