State sponsored consumerism

Good governace by a State mainly depends on its abilty to persuade people to limit their spending habit. Most of the debt traps and consequential suicides are the end result of spendingspree mind-set of the common man. Payments afar one’s income make the life misrerable and all sensible people know this but not the state government of Kerala. Moreover mounting consumerism has taken a heavy tax on the upbringingof the State.

All the ministers of Kerala, cine artists and writers are in queue to campaign for the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival. Forty kilograms of gold and fabulous gifts are reserved for the buyers! The newspapers and channels are thrilled by the profit they get from the advetisements of the festival. The feeling of consumerism created by festival sponsors persuades people to replace the available TV in good working condtion by a flat LCD one. Women are seen in a hurry to replace their old fasioned ornaments by new ones. Poor people are seen more discontented by watching the spending of elite class. The price of consumer products has increased at an incredible rate. The excessive consumerism has thus become detrimental and waste has been accumulted with loss of money. Use of more TV and other electronic goods leads waste of electrical power in addition.

The State Government is seemingly promoting consumer festivals instead of making people responsive about the demerits of excessive spendimg.

K A Solaman