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By Dr. Dinesh
World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD), is on 15th March it is an annual occasion for celebration and solidarity within the international consumer movement. It marks the date in 1962 President John F Kennedy first outlined the definition of consumer rights.WCRD is an opportunity to promote the basic rights of all consumers, for demanding that those rights are respected and protected, and for protesting the market abuses and social injustices which undermine them. WCRD was first observed on 15th March 1983, and has since become an important occasion for mobilising citizens.
The theme for World Consumer Rights Day 2017 is ‘Building a digital world consumers can trust’.
Well over 3 billion, or 40% of the world’s population is online now, compared with just 1% in 1995, with all projections suggesting this number will continue to rise. Although this still leaves many consumers who are struggling to access these technologies, the rapid growth of the internet, mobile phones and other digital technologies has created opportunities and challenges for millions of consumers around the world. Whilst consumers undoubtedly benefit from the increased access, choice and convenience that these technologies deliver, questions remain about how to improve the quality of services, which online services consumers can trust, what happens to the data they share online and what consumers’ rights are in relation to digital products. The sheer pace of change is also a challenge. Whereas the telephone took 75 years to reach an audience of 50 million, Facebook took one year, and Instagram took just 6 months.
Digital technology has created unprecedented new opportunities for consumers to communicate, access information and choose from a range of products and services. yet, in increasingly internationalised markets, consumers face a number of challenges which, without action, could undermine confidence and trust. The consumer in today's digital world depends on communications networks such as the Internet, and the ability to access and share knowledge across those networks. The consumer movement has an important role in ensuring that such networks and the works exchanged across them are accessible, affordable, reliable and safe.
Many multinational platforms and digital companies have become indispensable to contemporary life, offering high quality, convenient digital interactions. The data monetisation model behind some, where people ‘exchange’ information about themselves for the service with no upfront financial cost, makes for a tantalising offer. They are the default by which consumers experience and interact with digital - the gateway to the internet if you like: we don’t search, we Google, we don’t make videocalls, we Skype. The dominance of a small number of firms is significant because people’s choice over whether to engage or not in the digital world is becoming increasingly limited. If a few large companies effectively become gateways to all the internet has to offer, then we have to ask questions about how their size and dominance impact consumer choice, power and protection? Large established players already marking out territory in the internet of things will have to gather and connect data to as many objects and people as possible to make their connected services thrive. The more data points connected, the more potentially valuable the insights, so drawing in and retaining as many customers as possible will be top of companies’ agenda. Exercising choice could get harder for consumers, as they lean towards contracting with one company as an easy way of bringing together multiple services. In practice, switching provider by exiting contracts will be time consuming or inconvenient. These limitations on choosing between providers are really important for the digital age. If competition can no longer effectively deliver consumer protection through providing choice, then we need to approach things differently. In fact there is the real opportunity to forge a positive consumer agenda for the digital age that addresses areas of consumer concern and offers real choice over how to participate. A complex, integral and dominating set of relationships should not put us off arguing for a fairer and more accountable digital system for consumers. Widespread digital technology is here. There is real potential for consumers to benefit but also a flip side presenting widespread negative consumer outcomes. It is up to us to work together to ensure that the practices and delivery of large digital companies stand up to the scrutiny and expectations of the people whose lives are so entwined with them.
So What are the consumer rights?
• The right to satisfaction of basic needs - To have access to basic, essential goods and services: adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, public utilities, water and sanitation.
• The right to safety - To be protected against products, production processes and services that are hazardous to health or life.
• The right to be informed - To be given the facts needed to make an informed choice, and to be protected against dishonest or misleading advertising and labelling.
• The right to choose - To be able to select from a range of products and services, offered at competitive prices with an assurance of satisfactory quality.
• The right to be heard - To have consumer interests represented in the making and execution of government policy, and in the development of products and services.
• The right to redress - To receive a fair settlement of just claims, including compensation for misrepresentation, shoddy goods or unsatisfactory services.
• The right to consumer education - To acquire knowledge and skills needed to make informed, confident choices about goods and services, while being aware of basic consumer rights and responsibilities and how to act on them.
• The right to a healthy environment -To live and work in an environment that is non-threatening to the well-being of present and future generation
Consumer responsibilities
Consumer responsibilities to compliment consumer rights.
These remain crucial principles for many consumer rights organisations today:
• Critical awareness - consumers must be awakened to be more questioning about the provision of the quality of goods and services.
• Involvement or action - consumers must assert themselves and act to ensure that they get a fair deal.
• Social responsibility - consumers must act with social responsibility, with concern and sensitivity to the impact of their actions on other citizens, in particular, in relation to disadvantaged groups in the community and in relation to the economic and social realties prevailing.
• Ecological responsibility - there must be a heightened sensitivity to the impact of consumer decisions on the physical environment, which must be developed to a harmonious way, promoting conservation as the most critical factor in improving the real quality of life for the present and the future.
• Solidarity - the best and most effective action is through cooperative efforts through the formation of consumer/citizen groups who together can have the strength and influence to ensure that adequate attention is given to the consumer interest.
(Contributed by Dr. Dinesh, Member State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission)
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By Yogi Ashwini
When you pick up a newspaper in the morning, what is it that you look for...good news or bad? A normal human mind is programmed to look for bad or negative. That is why negative seems more interesting.
To give you a recent example, I had written an article sometime back detailing facts and facets of subtler worlds and dimensions. The article spoke at length about experiences one has and about the evolution of a being on the path of sadhna. There was also a mention of how ego is a roadblock on the path of yoga and needs to be kept in control. Whether one is the president of chamber of commerce or a basic person, the subject has to be approached with humility for the experiences to happen.
Now, I have a friend who is the president of chamber of commerce. When he read this article, he retorted back saying I was referring to him. I only mentioned the post as an example and there maybe 45 other presidents of chamber of commerce, but of all the insightful things written in that article, this gentleman took back only that. He completely missed out on the gyan of the subject.
The above is a perfect case of how we choose negativity. It is the basic nature of a human being. Ayurveda explains this with the help of the three doshas or defects that make up a human body casting him/here into the whirlpool of diseases, imbalances, emotional congestion and an overall negative approach towards life. If there is dosha (negativity) in the body, the body will remain. That is there is always an aspect of negativity in humans, the level of negativity decides whether you are good or bad. When negativity is more, one is termed as bad, when it is less, he/she is called good. Swami Vivekanand once at a lecture expressed a similar view while speaking of a black dot on a white background that was presented to him. He explained how all our lives we focus on the tiny black dot, missing out on the limitless white expanse. This is in fact is the primary reason why whether someone drives a luxury car or travels by a bus, each one is unhappy and disturbed with the way things are. I get countless mails daily from all over the world, and 99% of them are negative. If only we could change from negative to positive, our health would improve as would the quality of life, and time (both good and bad) which seems to drag at a snail’s pace would seem to be pass away in no time. That is a sign of evolution.
Holi is a perfect time to move from negativity towards positivity. This purnima of the month of Phalgun holds within itself the phenomenal power to burn away negativity. History is proof of how when Holika sat in the lap of fire with the virtuous Prahlad, Prahlad came out unscathed while Holika’s body disintegrated, indicating the end of negativity. In the yogic philosophy, disintegration of body is not viewed as an end, but simply a transformation of elements, fire being the chief agent of change. Even as the body disintegrates, the journey of the spirit, continues. Holika on the purnima of Holi moved from negativity to positivity and so can each one of us, through specific jaaps and yagya under the sanidhya of Guru.
The night of holi is a powerful night, a night of silence and of internalization, a night when the potency of various mantras and jaaps is at its peak as is the transformational effect of fire. It is a night of chanting mantras which have been channelized by one’s Guru and of invocation of positivity through yagya in presence of your Guru. The experiences one gets and their effects on one’s being equals the sadhna of many years together, in just one night.
So the next time you read my article or listen to a lecture, please do not pick out one or two parts which are negative, look for positivity and growth.
Yogi Ashwini is the Guiding Light of Dhyan Ashram and can be reached at www.dhyanfoundation.com
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BY YOGI ASHWINI
Cirrhosis of the liver is a serious problem and once it sets in then the liver starts to degenerate. In the first stage the membrane that covers the liver gets inflamed and the second stage is where the liver gets damaged. The inflammation of the membrane can be identified by certain symptoms. Firstly, the eyes of the person would not be clear but spotted, or they look heavy and not normal. The tongue will have a heavy deposit every morning when they wake up and thirdly, the most important symptom is the stool is sunk down and not floating. These are clear signs of damage to the liver.
If any of these symptoms are visible then its important to take some remedial measures. If your liver gets damaged, medical science does not have a cure for it. So how do you keep the liver healthy and strong when modern medicine does not have a cure for it. Here we will refer to Ayurveda and yoga for some remedial measures.
Two ayurvedic remedies-
1. This is a very simple yet powerful and rejuvenating tonic. Take Shyam tulsi leaves and crush them. Caution- do not chew tulsi leaves. Mercury is the most strongest element that can cure as well as harm the body. Tulsi contains mercury and it breaks the enamel. If tooth enamel breaks then tooth will start to damage which in turn affects the heart of the person directly.
So crush the leaves and take out the juice and drink it. You may add honey according to taste. But kapha prakriti people should not take a lot of honey and can avoid it in this case. To know more about your prakriti (vata, pita, kapha) you may refer to the website www.dhyanfoundation.com
2. Second remedy is to drink 3 glasses of fresh pineapple juice daily with some honey.
(If you are kapha prakriti then add little less honey). This is a powerful tonic for flushing out toxins from the liver.
The most important thing for anyone suffering with a bad liver is to avoid emotional congestion or tension. It has been medically proven that emotional congestion reduces the production of hormones in the body. It also aggravates hyperactivity of the liver. In yoga there is no scope of any hyperactivity in the body. If there is hyperactivity in the body then the first damage is not to the heart but to the liver. It is closest to the emotional surya chakra from where one forms all the emotional bonds. Therefore negative emotions over a long period are as bad as alcohol for the liver. They do gradual damage the liver. It is extremely important to stay calm to avoid any further damage to the liver.
In the next article we will discuss some simple asanas to keep the liver healthy and ensure it functions properly.
Yogi Ashwini is the Guiding Light of Dhyan Foundation and an authority on the Vedic Sciences. His book, 'Sanatan Kriya, The Ageless Dimension' is an acclaimed thesis on anti-ageing. Log onto to www.dhyanfoundation.com or mail to dhyan@dhyanfoundation. com for more.
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No Debates in India..!
“How can a candidate win an election without a debate?” asked apuzzled friend visiting India, which inspired us to have a debate for the candidates before the elections that just took place.
“Your speech will make the difference!” said the moderator we had picked, with a smile.
“What speech!” askedCandidate One as he spat a large wad of paan right onto the floor of the stage and waved as the audience applauded his attempt at bravado.
“Will both candidates please come on the stage!" announced the moderator.
“One minute!” said both the candidates rushing off into the wings.
“Where have they gone?” asked the puzzled moderator.
“They are with the cameraman sir. Candidate One is promising him government contractsif he does not zoom in on his bald patch, whilecandidate two is slipping a two thousand rupee note into same cameraman’s hand to not zoom where his liver warts are! Ah, here they are sir."
The moderator beckoned them to stand on either side of him.“I will take the left side because according to my Vastu guruji it will bring me luck!” said Candidate One.
“My astrologer told me the same,” said Candidate Two, “Today is an auspicious day and according to his to his astrological charts, the moon casts its shadow on the right side, and that would be disastrous for me. I will stand on the left!”
“I want the left!”
“I want the left
"Gentlemen, gentlemen!” shouted the moderator, “Please don't fight. You both may stand to my left.You may start sir!”
“Free electricity for everyone!” shouted the first candidate.
“Free water for slum dwellers!” shouted the second man not to be outdone.
“Free food for everybody!”
“Free loans for all. Give your vote, take your loan!”
The moderator banged his gavel. “What are you both doing?” he whispered, “This is supposed to be a debate!”
“We are debating!” said both the candidates.
Don't you both understand?” asked the moderator. “That if the public don’t know what you both have to offer, you both may not get any votes? They want to know what your foreign policy is? What your views are on inflation. On demonetization! They want a debate! They want to hear you!”
“No!” shouted the public who had come to watch, “We want to hear what we will get free! We want laptops, free weddings, free rations, free..”
“And who will pay for all this?” whispered my foreign friend.
“Nobody!” I told him, “The man who is the best liar wins,and like fools the people will give their votes to the most convincing of them!"
"The people are happy with false promises and pipe dreams!" said the moderator as he got off the stage and watched the two candidates cheered by their followers, “Debates are not needed in India..!”
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By Yogi Ashwini
Understanding this is a sadhna…which can span lifetimes or be accomplished in a moment just, a beautiful journey bestowing myriad siddhis enroute…
Shiv is an experience. This experience begins at the feet of the Guru and unfolds as per the capacity of the sadhak. Ravan composed the Shiv Tandav Stotram to describe it. Adi Shankaracharya said ‘na paapam, na punyam, na saukham, na daukham...’ to describe what it’s not. These were the Shiv sadhaks of finest quality, a rare phenomenon. What they described was their experience of Shiv; Shiv however is beyond description, for what is limitless cannot be bound in words and meanings. So no amount of reading and writing can grant you the experience, to get that experience you need to tread the path of sadhna, under a Guru.
The first experience of Shiv is the shakti of Guru. As you walk the path shown by Guru, something that you were wanting manifests in your life. It could be health, relationship, job etc. That becomes your experience of the Shiv tatva - that which has manifested the un-manifested. There are as many examples of such manifestations at Dhyan Ashram in present times as there are narratives from past of sadhaks who were able to get the boon they desired. That ‘boon’ or manifested desire, however is only an aspect of Shiv. 90% of the people get satisfied with the experience and their focus shifts from Shiv to that ‘thing’ which they wanted. So the experience of Shiv for them gets limited to that. A thousand names of Shiv, stem from here. Those who don’t let their focus shift, move further into the dimension of Shiv. Next, the subtler siddhis of yog start manifesting – clairvoyance, clairaudience, premonition, extrasensory perceptions etc. Many take this to be the ultimate and end their experience here. They immerse themselves in the siddhis and powers so acquired and forget that this too is just an aspect. The finer sadhaks progress ahead where they start interacting with the energies that run creation, aiding and assisting them in the process of Creation.
Mentioned above are just some siddhis, the domain of Shiv however is endless. The key to accessing it is vairagya (detachment). The moment one gets attached to any aspect of Shiv or siddhi that it bestows, the upward progression stops. Vairagya is possible only when one has the gyan of reality and gyan is possible only when one is able to sit in dhyan. Dhyan happens only when one has accumulated good karmas, which are acquired from seva or service. Seva, is the first step. It is through seva that one increases the size of their container or the experience of Shiv that one can hold. This Shivratri, embark on the journey to increasing the size of your container…to experience Shiv.
Shiv is real, not a myth. Shiv is all encompassing. All are accepted in the abode of Shiv – bhoot, pret, pisach, yaksh, kinnar, naag, dev, danav, humans. You don’t have to be of a special caste to experience the various dimensions of Shiv.
Shivratri is the night of Shiv and Shakti, the night of merger, the night of completeness. Guru, on the night of Shivratri, awakens the power of Shiv and Shakti in each and every one who follows the path shown, without exceptions. In my journey of 25 years, I have yet to come across a sadhak who under Guru Sanidhya has not experienced Shiv. The seva and sadhna performed on this night grants one the experiences and siddhis of many lifetimes, in just one night. It is a 100% science, not a religion. Try and test it for yourself. For darshan of Shiv and aawahaan of its Shakti, you may attend the Mahashivratri yagya at Dhyan Ashram.
Yogi Ashwini is the Guiding Light of Dhyan Foundation and an authority on the Vedic Sciences. His book, 'Sanatan Kriya, The Ageless Dimension' is an acclaimed thesis on anti-ageing. Log onto to www.dhyanfoundation.com for more