If I have to name a
person as an unforgettable character in my life it would be R Desikan, the
consumer activist who died on the night of June 27. Considered the Ralph Nader
of South India, he was a remarkable personality whose fighting spirit made him
take on establishments – both government and private -- regardless of the
threats involved.
Interestingly he was
self-taught and did not hold a graduate degree. Born into a large family on
June 7, 1932, he grew up in a village in Tirunelveli district. As his father
died when he was in the first year of college he had to drop out, but he made
up for the lack of formal education by reading for hours at the Connemara
Library, in Madras.
Though activism was
his passion, his first love was the publication business. He started as a
representative for Imprint magazine for five years and then moved to Reader’s
Digest. While working there, he pioneered the concept of ‘Advertiser’s
Supplement’, a first of its kind in the country. In 1973, he moved to Chennai
and soon started full-fledged publishing. He launched the magazine ‘Indian
Needlewoman’ under the banner of Speciality Publications with his wife Nirmala
as editor. Nirmala, proved to be the greatest asset in Desikan’s life. While he
was the ideas man, she was the executor and together they started a series of
magazines, including the first ever women-centric Tamil magazine Mangayar
Malar.
It was in 1977 that
Desikan decided to rustle up the scene by bringing out a weekly community paper
called South Madras News, distributed free. The magazine allowed residents of
South Madras to voice their issues. A natural corollary was the establishment
of an NGO in1987, SMN consumer protection council. This was followed close on
the heels of the much debated Indian Consumer Protection Act 986 being passed
by the Parliament.
During this time his
publishing project took a hit, he decided to close the unit and took on the
avatar of the consumer activist. With Concert (Centre for Education, Research
Testing and Training), he took awareness on consumer rights to a national
level. Concert was the first ever fuel testing laboratory run by an NGO in
Chennai.
Along with some
stalwarts he started an NGO, The Catalyst Trust, now active in championing
electoral reforms. The flagship organization of the group, Consumers
Association of India (CAI), has come to be recognized as one of the two top
consumer organizations in the country. Established in 2001 it has helped
consumers get redressal from governments or erring corporates.
Though I had known
Desikan for over 45 years, I witnessed his crusading spirit when he invited me
to join the Consumer Association of India as a trustee. He was singularly
responsible for opening up a whole new world to me, introducing me to the Round
Table India – a youth organization devoted to fellowship and service.
I met him in the
hospital ten days before his demise. While the doctors were
debating whether he
should be put under the scalpel, he was talking with great enthusiasm about new
projects on the anvil at CAI.
An ad-man, journalist,
printer, publisher, a pioneer of ideas, an inveterate optimist, a visionary
with tremendous energy and enthusiasm - more than all these descriptions of
Desikan, what people will always remember him for is his role as a
crusader for consumer rights.
Feedback welcome on rvrajan42@gmail.com or 9840392082
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