Send Your views/articles to wise@yeahindia.com

Ensuring Blood of Quality : A More Practical Alternative

Tax : Are Direct Taxes Really Direct?

The Nutty Ad War : The Coconut Oil Controversy

Changing Life Style of Teenagers

India and Indians

Preamble

The Hindu Business Line dated October 12, 1999 carried an article on page 15 titled ‘Ensuring blood of quality’ by Rasheeda Bhagat.  This article, while appreciating a Chennai-based blood bank - Jeevan Blood Bank - for receiving the ISO 9002 quality certification, argues that quality can be achieved by restricting the number of blood banks in the country.

However, considering the demand for blood in India, we feel this argument is not prudent. Using the same argument, can we close all private and primary health clinics in the villages and small towns in India because they are huge and not possible to manage, in order to improve quality?

Conceptually, we need to improve quality of living with the available framework. Similar argument will apply to blood banks too. When there is a huge need for blood, restricting the blood banks are not going to improve the health care facilities in this country. Ideally, we need more and more blood banks scattered according to population spread, across the nation, with adequate quality.

In this context, yeahindia.com has received views from a doctor based at Sivakasi (a Southern Town of Tamil Nadu), which is produced below for the benefit of yeahindia visitors.
 
- The editor
 

I am glad and thrilled that there are people in this country of such caliber, who have a penchant for quality, and are out to achieve it. I am glad, a Chennai based blood bank has achieved this distinction. And I record my congratulations to the doctors concerned on their achievement.

But I am surprised and saddened that people of such caliber and renown know so little about the varied needs of a country like India. As it stands, we in Sivakasi have been struggling to meet the stipulated requirements of the law, for starting a blood bank, and I am sorry to say, that in spite of our best efforts, we have failed so far. And Sivakasi is a busy urban conglomerate of more than one lakh population, with more than 100 doctors, including all major specialists, and many visiting super-specialists. I wonder if blood is available at all in the backward states of the country like UP, MP, Bihar, Orissa and Rajasthan, except perhaps in their capital cities.

Hi-tech blood banks are welcome. They serve an useful purpose in our cities, where other hi-tech medical procedures are undertaken. But, Hi-tech can not substitute appropriate technology, which even the WHO has been advocating, for the past two decades or so now. people in US are not using ORS, though it is considered one of the greatest inventions of this century. People in the US do not use the Oral Polio Vaccine, but will anyone dare say that we stop using this, because the US is not using it. In the same vein, what our country, that is India, needs is blood, (whole or component) at the time of a person’s urgent need, in the place where the patient is, and at a cost the person can afford.

Consider our situation for a moment. We, my wife and I run a small maternity hospital in urban Sivakasi, with about 30 beds. We have come across so many emergencies during the last 10 years of our practice, when people have been saved in the nick of time, by relative or voluntary donors, and also because we are equipped to transfuse in time. Our patients can not afford to spare the time to get blood from nearby Virudunagar, which is 45 minutes away. We have not wasted blood, because we transfuse whole blood, because we have only replaced blood for lost blood. And I can assure you that 90 per cent of our patients should get whole blood, given the choice. I can also assure that none of our patient is likely to get HIV or HbsAg  positive, because we are conscientious doctors and we take all the precautions we can to prevent these diseases.

I am surprised that the Hindu Business Line article call it as mushrooming of blood banks in the country, and add that no country needs it. As per the latest information I obtained from TNSACS, Tamil Nadu has about 160 blood banks. And still both our premier hill stations Ooty and Kodaikanal do not have blood banks. Think of all the time it will take for people to travel to the plains to collect blood and get back. I am sure that you will agree with me that no obstetric emergency can afford to lose that much time. If doctors of our hill stations are not equipped to transfuse blood in time, in spite of having no approved blood bank in their vicinity, several of these patients will die. They are in fact already dying, because our policy makers, have so far failed to take action. Even officials of the Government of Tamil Nadu have acknowledged this fact.

According to the Hindu Business Line article, if the number of blood banks are kept low, it will become possible to certify them. But, our country needs all these blood banks and so many more, that we will never manage to start enough blood banks to meet the needs of this country. Tamil Nadu with 160 blood banks, is still finding it impossible to meet the state’s requirement, and the last I heard was, that the whole of Bihar has only six blood banks. The State is finding it difficult to implement its own  laws, not because there are so many blood banks, but because we have such impractical rules, and the authorities know the consequences of implementing them. But the good news is that we will not have the need to have so many blood banks, if only we make suitable, simpler, and more viable alternatives.

If the laws of this country make it impossible for say 80 per cent of the country’s population to donate blood, even if they want to, how do you think are we going to make up for our present short fall. People can not and will not take the trouble to travel to the cities nearby to donate blood, and unless doctors in the villages are not only empowered but also provided the required tools to use 80 per cent of the country’s population, which lives in our villages, how do you think we are going to achieve results. At least 30 to 50 per cent of the country’s requirement will be in the villages, and for the villagers, it is wiser and simpler to use 80 per cent of the country’s population to acquire at least a part of this requirement.

The Hindu Business Line article informs that the country spends Rs 80 to 100 crore a year on importing blood components. Are you aware, that the country was in fact manufacturing these items, and they are now imported, because the authorities concerned have opted for the easy way out, instead of helping the manufacturers with producing HIV-free blood components. If I, living in remote Sivakasi is aware of this issue, I can not believe that those people who are in the thick of the issue are not aware of this. You are just acting that the problem is one of shortage, even while you know that the problem is actually with the bureaucracy. If only a sizable chunk of the country’s rural needs are taken care of  in the villages, will it not be more practical for those who live in the cities to have enough blood to separate into blood components for the country’s few thousand hemophiliacs, who definitely need these components.

Every diarrhea child in the US may get a transfusion, and so ORS is not necessary in the US. But ORS, is acclaimed the find of the century, because it saves lives in the given social situation of this country. OPV is not used in the US, but it is the US, which is funding its use in India, if only to prevent it from spreading into their country. Thus, what the country needs is not just permission, but the facility for testing whole blood for HIV and Hbs Ag  and also the support and help to doctors who live all over the country, to transfuse safe blood in order to save lives.

To sum, what the country needs is not fewer hi-tech blood banks, but suitable changes to the laws governing blood transfusions in the country to make them simpler, and practical from the present complicated and idealistic set of rules. This will make safe blood available, to the average Indian, at a time of his critical need and at a cost he can afford.

[Health, Blood Bank]

Top

Preamble

In India, the social objective has been rapid economic growth with equitable distribution. For reconciling the claims of growth and equity in a democratic framework, the concept of welfare state has been incorporated in the Indian Constitution.

The unmistakable emphasis placed on reducing economic inequalities in the Plan documents implies that the existing inequalities were regarded as socially undesirable. The objectives of reducing economic inequalities in the Indian context has been specified in four different forms:

1. Reduction in the concentration of economic power;

2. Reduction in the (relative) disparities in earnings;

3. Reduction in the (relative) disparities in income and consumer expenditure; and

4. Reduction or eradication of absolute poverty.
 

Direct Tax as a Tool to Reduce Economic Inequalities

Various monetary and fiscal policies were used as tools for the purpose of reduction of inequalities. Fiscal policies besides promoting development, has something to its credit by way of increasing social welfare. By and large this has been achieved through two types of measures, namely, those which have raised the economic status of the weaker sections of the population, and those which tended to reduce the inequalities and wealth.

Direct taxes are used as a tool to reduce economic inequalities. some of the direct taxes are: income tax, profits tax, capital gains tax, etc. These taxes helps to reduce the gap between haves and havenots.

Are these direct taxes are really direct in nature is one of the basic fundamental question which arises due to the prevailing socio-economic environment over the past 50 years. Whether direct taxes were able to achieve what they are suppose to?  No! is the spontaneous answer. Because, direct taxes in India, indirectly functions as indirect taxes, that is, the burden of those taxes can be and has been transferred to the consumers. How?

Transferring the Direct Tax Burden to the Consumers

Let us take one direct tax - tax on profits earned.

The main objective of a businessman or a firm is to maximize profits. Business community is aware of the fact that they have to pay taxes on profits earned; and they too knows the prevailing tax rates.

A prudent businessman wants to pay his taxes; and at the same time is not willing to agree on any reductions in his future profits. So, here is the logic: He calculates approximately, at the beginning of the financial year, how much he has to pay as tax for the following accounting year.  These calculations can be projected comfortably, with past data, future expectations and his experiences, with the advanced statistical models available.

After projecting the future amount of tax he has to pay, he adds his prices and he tries to earn more for the purpose of paying his tax which is supposed to be a direct tax. So, actually in reality he not only makes his estimated profits, but also some extra which he can pay as taxes and by doing so, he does not loose anything.

Let us view an example.

Let the tax rate be 10 per cent. The estimated profits are at Rs1,00,000. So, he has to pay Rs10,000 as his direct tax, by which he will have Rs90,000 at the end. Any businessmen does not like to loose.

So, he will fix his profit target as Rs1,10,000. Now, the tax amount will be Rs11,000. Now, he is left with Rs99,000, as against Rs90,000.

Therefore, by fixing two targets the business community bears only 1% of the tax and shifts the balance 90 per cent to the consumers. If 90 per cent of a tax can be shifted, can we call such tax as a direct tax?

Concluding Remarks

If the burden of so called direct taxes can be shifted, how can we say that we use direct taxes as a tool for the purpose reducing economic inequalities?

Further, if the purpose is not fulfilled, why continue the same? You may discontinue all forms of direct taxes and allow the enterprise to grow.

Top

Hair oil segment is classified broadly as natural oils and  perfumed  hair oils/creams. Approximately  55  per cent of the total market for hair oil products is with natural  oil brands,  such  as,  Parachute,  Shalimar, Cococare,  Nihar,  Anmol,  etc.  The  balance  is with perfumed  hair  care products, which  is  further  sub-classified as : heavy hair oil (Dabur Jasmine, Bajaj   Amla),  light  hair oil (Hair & Care,  Dabur  Special), cooling hair oil (Banphool, Keshraj), hair tonics/creams (Clinic Active, Brylcreem)  and  coconut based oils (Clinic Plus, Parachute Herbal).

Marico, one of the major player in the branded coconut hair oil segment, fired the first missile during July 1996 by launching a three-day mass media advertising warning consumers that  a particular brand of hair oil (to be read as Clinic Plus Hair Oil from Hindustan Lever Limited) was 'not pure coconut oil'. The ad copy says : "When they say plus, they mean 42 per cent coconut oil  plus 58  per cent paraffin"; and "When we say Parachute, we  mean 100  per cent coconut oil. When you use coconut  oil,  don't buy diluted, buy 100% pure." The base line of the ad : "100% coconut oil. 0% Paraffin."

Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL) promptly approached MRTP Commission and within four days obtained  an  exparte  interim  stay  order  on  the  Marico campaign.  And it issued a notice in public interest by  the first  week  of  August with the  head  line  :  "Misleading advertising  by  Parachute Coconut Oil stopped by  the  MRTP Commission."

In the second round of coconut oil ad war, HLL released an ad with the message : “Misleading advertisement by Parachute coconut oil stopped by the MRTPC”. However, on the same day of HLL’s ad, Marico released an improved ad. Marico continued with the same position of purity of its hair oil. In the place of bottle with the + sign, there was a large Parachute bottle. Base line of the previous ad got transformed into the headline : “100% coconut oil.  0% paraffin.”  The copy in large point said : “ This symbol stands for 100% purity.”

Further, Dabur joined the game during mid August 1996 with a campaign.  It's  copy  : "Dabur  Vatika  Hair  Oil.  Neither Paraffin  nor  Cooking  Oil.  Just  Pure  Coconut  Hair  Oil enriched  with Henna, Amla and Lemon." The ad also  mentions at  the bottom : "Notice issued in the interest  of  healthy and beautiful hair."

It is paradoxical that the same HLL which approached MRTP Commission in 1996, has been adopting advertisement strategies for quite some time, which directly affect the Indian sensibilities, especially the coconut heritage of Kerala. For example, HLL’s TV commercial for Clinic Plus brand of coconut hair oil depicts characters which are shown in the act of impressing upon a girl child that using pure coconut oil is not desirable and that using HLL’s product (which is only half-pure coconut oil) is a better proposition. The girl child in the advertisement is shown to be ridiculed by her schoolmates as ‘Chipku Chipku’ just because she is using pure coconut oil. The child is later shown to be changing her preference and start using HLL’s product in place of pure coconut oil. In general HLL seems to be attempting to lower the self-esteem of users of pure coconut oil so that they move to other products. This is highly deplorable. There are several examples in India, especially in the state of Kerala, of great leaders, male and female, in various walks of life, who have been regular and proud users of pure coconut oil.

It is unfortunate that a company such as HLL (or it’s ad agency) is not aware of the fact that coconut oil has been used in India for several centuries and has assumed an important place in Indian psyche, culture and hair care. Pure coconut oil has properties which have been proved medicinally, and it is also included in several Ayurvedic scriptures as beneficial oil in its natural form. It is certainly an ethnic product of Kerala, which promoted good health. In complete disregard to these facts, HLL is seeking to run down pure coconut oil. This is just to promote HLL’s product, which contains about half mineral oil that does not have the same properties as pure coconut oil. In fact, HLL is giving a false impression that diluted coconut oil provide the same benefits as pure unadulterated coconut oil. The Clinic Plus product pack speaks of healthy hair, when in fact, the proportion of pure coconut oil providing health is only half. This is nothing but playing a trick on the consumer.

It is not in the interests of Kerala to let coconut oil and its users be ridiculed in such a crass manner. HLL must be aware that not only does the coconut oil industry provide employment to several thousands of people especially in Kerala, but also supports many small-scale industries. While promoting the products of HLL, it can not be insensitive to such a large strata of the Kerala economy and society.

HLL is using children in its TV commercials, by which it tries to ensure that a generation of consumers would reject coconut oil and get misled into using HLL products. HLL should follow ethical trade practices, which are in conformity with the culture and sensibilities of Kerala.

To sum the Aftermath of War :

• Ad wars is an indication of higher level of  competition which seeks superior creative quality.

• Question unanswered : Does such comparative advertising work in a functional product category such as hair oil where awareness levels do not determine brand shares?

•  Such  an advertising  offensive may  yield  short-term gains  but ultimately the player will have to fight  it out on the basis of its superior functional performance and creative execution.

                                                              [Key : advertising, hair care, hair oil, coconut oil]

Top

In  the  past, teenagers were looked upon as the ‘beacon of hope’ in society and looked upon in awe as they were the future not just of that particular family but also of the entire nation. And as such they were supposed to follow in the path of their ancestors.  However,  the changes in lifestyle and other emerging trends in  the  twentieth century has necessitated a change in  their attitude. Does this mean a change of our culture and tradition that has been practiced and passed on through generations? Since, teenagers are the ones in whose hands  the future and well being of  the world in the next millennium lies, what then is in store for them ?

Earlier, teenagers had  respect  for elders  and looked upon them for guidance in life. Elders were the role models for them. But the trend  has changed. In the modern world youth have adopted western  culture that has forced them to change. They are of the opinion that, they  are  no  more  the twentieth  generation teenagers but of the twenty first’s, and want themselves to be identified as generation ‘X’ of the  twenty  first century. In those days, Mahathma Gandhi, Nehru, Nethaji, Rajaji and other similar personalities were the role models  for youngsters. But think of today’s teenagers... they only have Shah Rukh Khan, Rajnikanth, Kamal Hasan, Kushboo, Salman Khan, Kajol etc. to ape and not even Leander Peas or Tendulkar or Vishy Anand for that matter.

Another objective of today’s teenager is ‘Money’. To be precise, ‘More Money and fast Money’, that has attracted them towards materialism. Teenagers are changing there  ideals and culture in life to earn fast money in quick time. In the process, they get involved in unlawful activities, say smuggling,  terrorism  and indulging in criminal offenses or activities. One can’t blame the teenagers only for this. There are many factors that have led  teens into such a sorry state of affairs like for example, the prevailing rate of unemployment, less time devoted by parents, improper and vision-less educational system, etc.

Nowadays,  at  the  tender-age  of  16  (which they call as teenage), you have professional killers who don’t hesitate even to kill their loved ones to get hold of properties or settle a score. In the recent past the gap between teenagers  and elder people are becoming wider and wider as they claim "we are the  natural leaders of this world,".  This is also popularly called as the ‘Generation Gap’(GP). While the elders want unstilted loyalty to their values, the teenager frowns at any kind of supervision and rebels. So, they are addicted to drinking, smoking and use of drugs as they feel this habit gives a macho image  to them. Helped only by the numerous western flicks fed by our satellite behemoths. The parents are also to be blamed for GP, since children do pick up certain habits, especially the negative ones, swiftly from them.

Today’s generation of teenagers do not have strong ideals  or  a clear  sense  of  identity nor do they have  major  dreams  or vision in  their life. This generation of teenagers are facing  an unclear future to prepare for their future living and are  always pre-occupied with some thing else in their mind.  To lead a comfortable yet tasteful life in the near future, teenagers fell that a secured job with highly paid salaries, a car, cellular phone and weekend parties organized by the companies for whom they work is enough not to mention the stray foreign trips as incentives .

What they don’t understand is that theirs is a segment that is more needed for  the  country's  future because they are the harbingers of change and growth. But sadly today’s teenager doesn’t want to stay in India. They are forced to believe that their future lies in the land of hope  - USA . This then is the  segment that gets everything from India-its education, health, environment etc. and proceeds to serve for the growth of another country. For example, the government spends approximately Rs 6 lakhs to produce a medical professional. But most of the doctors leave India. The government should implement such subsidy education only with a commitment, say, “serve this country for 10 years or pay back the investment before leaving”.
 
Sadly, this generation of  teenagers do not have role models like Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen who became very  popular in a short period, because of their triumph in the Miss Universe and Miss World competitions  not due to their “skin-skill” alone but also due to their intelligence and perseverance.

These Generation ‘X’ people believe in dating and enjoying life in amoral ways. And this  is  catching up quickly among the  metro-youth today.  It  has  to be restricted and the after math explained. Outlook (dated November 1, 1999, page 62) reports that: “Navratri through the numerous discos and dandiya nites, has degenerated into an occasion to have inhibited sex because youngsters were allowed freedom to stay out till the wee hours which they often end up misusing. Based on reports from medical practitioners, education minister Anandiben Patel expressed concern over the rising number of abortions just after Navratri.” This is an indication of changing lifestyles of teenagers towards ‘sex’.

All  these started happening with the advent of satellite channels  and exodus of foreign movies beamed on television  and in theatres.

What then has to be done ? Who is to be held responsible for such an impasse ? And what are to be the remedial measures ?

Readers are invited to send in their thoughts and suggestions  on the above.

Top

Indians, generally, are very proud of the rich heritage of their country. We have tall talks about the cultural depth of our nation. We talk about the rich natural resources of the past and the present. We are so proud of the origin of so many religions of the east from our nation. But, we don’t care a damn about our lack of integrity. Our education, cultural heritage and religious famous will have no meaning - will be absolutely irrelevant - if we Indians lack integrity. Gandhiji’s piquant cry about this nation was its unwillingness to be true - to be honest - to be integrated.

What is integrity? In Gandhi’s language or idea, creed, word and deed should be one. What we think should be preached and what we preach should be done. We should be ashamed to know that we Indians are least bothered about Gandhi’s most treasured value truth or integrity. Gandhi lamented once that we were at once worshipping him and unwilling to follow his ideas - especially truth.

Corruption rocks this country’s very foundation. Any problem can be routed back to one evil called CORRUPTION.  The so called ‘top brains of our nation’, engineers, doctors, government servants (which include the top officials IAS, IPS, etc.), lawyers, bank officers, and down to attenders have no moral scruples in getting bribes or indulging in wrong practices. More than 75 per cent of the educated community firmly believe that corruption is not wrong. They indulge in all sorts of unscrupulous dealings to get their jobs done. Business has only one ethics - ‘CHEATING’.  So many scams have left the economy of this country in dire straits.

Education and religion - the very foundation of civilized life of Indian psyche are at cross-roads. Only these two departments can transform at once a society at large and an individual. Unfortunately, in our country both these have failed miserably to transform or civilize a human heart. In fact, both have dramatically worked against civilization in our country. They have become a force to say the least : “If the salt has lost its savour, where with shall it be salted?”

Does India have hope of being rebuilt? If India has to be rebuilt, the very psyche of this nation should change. We Indians should go to the very basics of life - truth - honesty - integrity.  If we join hands with Pilot and ask ‘What is truth?’ then this century will go back to the pre-independence days. And another Gandhi has to be born!

Top

Send Your views/articles to wise@yeahindia.com