All about consumers and producers

The first word that came into my mind when I thought about Consumers and Consumerism was surprisingly ‘nothing’. That’s because I could think of ‘nothing’ that was not a consumer in some way or the other. Ever since Man has gained his consciousness he has been a consumer. Since the dawn of evolution and till the dusk of industrialization and even after that, the main source of his consumption has been none other than nature herself. If something has changed, it is the form and way in which we have evolved as consumers. We have progressed from plucking apples from trees to now drinking them from a packed carton.

But then one may ask the questions “Why suddenly such a hue and cry about empowering consumers? ” , “If man has been a consumer for more than 5 centuries, why on earth hasn’t he thought about empowering himself before?”

Well many have given answers to questions like these, which have also satisfied many. I also have an answer to give on this. In my opinion the consumer movement has been going on for centuries (and that also very successfully), but it is only until recently that it has gained such tremendous popularity and momentum. The reason for this is the shift in the positions of the consumer and producer. Today one associates the word ‘Consumer’ invariably with the exploited party. And that’s the only reason why it’s such a rage today. Unless you don’t get your hands burned you do not realize how hot the fire is.

In any situation if there is a ‘consumer’ there has to be a ‘producer’ also. For centuries, it has been the ‘producer’; yes the ‘producer’ who has been the exploited one. Finding it difficult to believe? Well history gives us many such instances that almost all of us know about, all that is needed is to view these incidents through a consumer-producer outlook. Let’s take an example that is closest to our history i.e. The British colonization of India. In the beginning the British had arrived in India with the intention of trading. The idea was to buy commodities such as indigo, spices and silk, for which payment would be done in full. But gradually their greed got better of them and they started exploiting our country. Why India, in almost every instance of colonization it has been the consumer who has done the exploitation.

But with the abolition of colonization and the advent of democracy the distinct line between the consumer and the producer began to blur. The consumers started to become the producers and vice versa. Soon the present scenario evolved in which the producers became the manufacturers, retailers, service providers and shopkeepers and the consumers became the common man who consumed the commodities supplied by the above. Perhaps it was the first time in world history that the consumers did not find themselves in a dictating position. For the first time, they were on equal terms with the producers. This was also perhaps the first time in which the producers felt they could assert themselves, and assert they did (it’s human nature) to the extent of exploitation. But as we know any kind of exploitation is always met with resistance from the exploited side (as the colonists (or the consumers until now) will tell you). This resistance from the consumer became what we know as the consumer movement today.

Who knows what may happen in the future. Will consumerism be so successful that it turns into producer exploitation? I do not think so, because now there are no distinct boundaries that separate consumers from a producer. Exploitation of any kind will hurt both parties to some extent. But as of now it is needed that we give our full support to consumerism so that it may tip the balance and bring us back to where we started: A peaceful and agreeable coexistence between the consumer and producer.