Not this number

Despite the sound of it,it is not remotely funny. Union Finance Minister and veteran politician Pranab Mukherjee must have well-screened callers on his mobile. Yet one of those undodgeable,catch-you-anywhere and,of course,unsolicited telemarketers slipped through when Mukherjee was meeting with opposition leaders on the price rise issue. This week,MPs and ministers shared the trauma most mobile subscribers have long complained about and given up on being redressed the daily bombardment of unsolicited telemarketing calls and text messages that has made life in these distinctly connected times unbearable in myriad non-violent ways.

What happens now? The telecom minister,A. Raja,has at last swung into action,asking his ministry to take immediate steps to prohibit the intruding calls. How long that process will take or how soon it will see results,if at all,will be coloured by public doubting,given that the scale has been heavily tipped against consumers in this battle. Theres the national do not call registry where subscribers need to register if they do not want to be disturbed. However,not only has it failed,but it has also put all onus on the victimised consumer,reiterating in this sphere too just how fragile the sanctity of individual privacy is.

At present,theres no foolproof way to dodge telemarketers; and the subscriber has to take each step,right from being careful with giving out her number. TRAI finds it difficult to catch them,especially if they are unregistered; and even then a telemarketer,who can work from home,can just get a new telephone connection if one is blocked. It may be more sensible at the start to immediately convert the do not call registry into a do call one as many have suggested,so that only subscribers who opt for telemarketing calls and messages can be reached. However,telemarketers need to fear the law instead of just casually having to check one register or another.