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Still defenceless
Simple, inexpensive and speedy justice, the main aim of the consumer protection law in India, remains elusive for  the common man even
after 20 years. Pushpa Girimaji on what ails the system

THE more things change, the more they remain the same. Wading through some old files the other day, I happened to stumble upon some of my consumer columns written 25 years ago. As I turned the pages, I saw some angrily penned articles on state-run, monopolistic service providers who were treating consumers shabbily. There was a story about a consumer who had to wait for 25 years to get a telephone connection; another one on how consumers dressed as mourners, had taken out a procession of ‘dead’ telephones ...

Old age down the ages The mystery about old age persists. When does one become old, why, and how? It is strange that the gods in India like Rama and Krishna always remain young, says Chaman Ahuja Prince Sidhartha, on encountering an old man for the first time, was so intrigued by human existence that he renounced the world of human affairs. Eventually, he did resolve his problem philosophically but the mystery about old age persists till this day. Stamp of history As many as 25 stamp ingots in India have been minted in precious metals, writes Man Mohan WORLD specialists in historic commemorative stamp issues in precious metals, the Hallmark Group has come out with the first most important stamp ingot collection ever produced for India called ‘The Pride of India Collection.’ Where East meets West With its picturesque views, lovely bridges and a large variety of tourist attractions, Hong Kong is much more than a shopper’s paradise, writes Nonika Singh AT first glance, Hong Kong looks like Mumbai. A skyline dotted with skyscrapers (a staggering 7,500 in number), the bustling bazaars, cramped up spaces where even five-star hotels nestle within overcrowded by-lanes. Rajasthan folk festival to revive dying musical tradition THE sprawling Mehrangarh fort in Jodhpur will come alive with the sounds of the traditional music of Rajasthan sung by the minstrels of Langa and Mangania communities as well as European gypsy music, flamenco, urban folk music at the five-day Rajasthan International Music Festival (RIFF), which begins on October 1. Desi movies English titles Movies with English names are a new fad in Bollywood, writes Robin Bansal Ever noticed the growing list of English titles for movies that are actually out and out Hindi? To name just a few upcoming films, there’s Wanted, All The Best, Jail and Kites.