Dehradun's First Ever Literature Festival turned out to be a Great SUCCESS

WIC India, in association with Springhead Communications, The Harvard Club of India, and Madhuban Group of Hotels, hosted its first edition of WIC India Dehradun Literature Festival on 22nd and 23rd April, 2016. The festival witnessed a huge turnout of close to 1500 to 2000 literature enthusiasts on each of the days. The weather in Dehradun also took a picturesque turn during the festival with cool breeze blowing through tall trees, making the experience all the more pleasant for the audience.

Each of the days was divided into five mind stimulating sessions with some of the renowned authors and speakers from all over India. 

Ranjit Lal and Dev Lahiri captivated the audience with their thoughts as to 'Why Imagination is more Powerful than Knowledge' while authors Roshen Dalal, Mona Verma and Swapna Liddle, with Debashish Bharuka as the moderator mutually agreed that history is an endless process, and that facts and stories change as per the way one perceives. Another interesting session from the literature festival that took an interesting, political turn involved writers such as Rachna Bisht Rawat, Omair Ahmad and Humra Quraishi. Discussing about the aspect of Freedom of Speech, Omair Ahmad was quoted saying - "It is not the business of the government to protect your feelings, it is the business of the government to protect your lives." On talking about the unrest in Kashmir and the trauma that Kashmiris have gone through, Humra Quraishi said - "Kashmir changed my style of writing. The painful situations of the Kashmiris, especially in the warzone, turned me from a fictional writer to a non-fictional writer." WIC Dehradun Literature Festival 2016 also included an interactive session on ‘Traditional Ancient Music of India’ where the key speaker of the session Pt. Prem Kumar Mallick launched his book – ‘Darbhanga Gharana Evam Bandishein’. The great story teller Ashwin Sanghi started his session on the ‘Art of Storytelling’ with a bang. During the discussion, Ashwin explained how the ability to tell stories is life's most powerful and envied skills. He said - “A story well told can make us laugh, weep, swell with pride, or rise with indignation. A story poorly told can be not just boring or uncomfortable, but positively painful to experience.” The closing ceremony of Day 1 of Dehradun Literature Festival saw a musical performance by EKA music band that turned the evening into a melodious one.

The audience was found to be bubbling with excitement during Day 2, session 1 where the flamboyant and humurous author Chetan D. Narain spoke to the spectators about the much intriguing concepts of sun signs. The second session had Sanil Sachar and Sumedha Mahajan, with Anupama Joshi as the moderator. They were unanimously of the opinion that style of art is a perception. Anisha Motwani, a business strategist, speaker and columnist was the key speaker of the third session who read excerpts from her book 'Storm the Norm'. The session on 'Religion & Politics' involved a riveting discussion with authors Nayantara Sahgal and Kota Neelima on the panel. The session on ‘Humanotions’ with Durjoy Dutta, Novoneel Chakraborty and Sumrit Shahi saw participation of youngsters from across the state. The discussion was moderated by Subhashish Bharuka, Founder & CEO, Springhead Communications. The Festival ended with a special panel discussion on the topic ‘Dehra – A Tribute’. The authors participating in this session were Jaskiran Chopra, Lokesh Ohri, ADG Ashok Kumar and Bijoya Sawian. 

From Flab to Fab – Anant Ambani's Journey of Shedding 108 kg

The biggest inspiration for today's younger generation to lose some weight is Anant Ambani, who has recently shocked the nation with his lean new physique! The transformed image of Anant Ambani got viral during the game of IPL between Mumbai and Pune, leaving everyone  stunned to the core.

Anant is the youngest son of Mukesh and Nita Ambani of the Reliance family. Chronic asthma and the effect of strong medications to curb the diseases were the reasons for his perpetual weight gain. 

However, last year he made a self-commitment to lose weight naturally and safely. Doctors had warned him that weight loss by natural means would be a challenging task but he still went for it. His aim was to get fit by his 21^st birthday. For the past eighteen months, he has been following a rigorous exercise regime for about five to six hours a day that include long walks, yoga, high intensity cardio exercises along with strict zero sugar and low-carb diet.

Nita Ambani, the Chairperson and Founder of Reliance Foundation and Anant's mother is extremely happy and proud of her son's accomplishment. She is of the belief that the will power and determination that Anant has shown in fighting and conquering such a challenge is a big inspiration for all. 

Salman Khan congratulated Anant by tweeting- “So happy to see Anant Ambani, lots of respect and so happy for him. Takes a lot of will power to lose 108 kg’s in 18 months”. Mahendra Singh Dhoni showed his appreciation towards Anant Ambani’s weight loss by tweeting – “Wish you a very happy birthday Anant. You gave the best gift to you by losing over 100kg, discipline and determination.”

There were many other celebrities who have also been  inspired by the journey of junior Ambani and have congratulated him on Twitter that include names such as -  Sir Ravindra Jadeja, Mr. Rajiv Shukla, Anupama Chopra, Chitrangada Singh, Urvashi Rautela, Sooraj Pancholi.

Corporate Corruption, Customer Harassment and Social Media

Over the last decade, we have seen an influx of bullish corporate culture coming to play in the Indian consumer products scenario. Undoubtedly, things have changed for the betterment of the society while giving comforts and choices to us as consumers, but what happened next? 

The economy opened up further, surging the visibility of international brands  in India. Be it UPA (United Progressive Alliance) or NDA (National Democratic Alliance), the government in power reinforced the fact that they're doing everything in the interest and favour of the Indian consumers by bringing in cheap and low quality Chinese manufactured products in the country. As a result, everything dumped from China has been landing up in our homes as consumer durables. Be it refrigerator, television set, mobile phone, LED light or for that matter, even, the hazardous toys for kids. We've been DROWNED and ENGULFED in the 'Chinese Ball of Fire'. 

On the other hand, we have our 'Desi' companies mushrooming across the country through the 'GLITTERING' malls, trying to give us the option of luxury of products and services, only to be purchased using 'PLASTIC MONEY' mostly 'Credit Cards' (Uncle Sam Will Get You Soon'). We LOVE to ape the West but we're better money planners as we would like to call ourselves. 

Today, as MasterCard advertisements say, "Dinner for 2 = Rs. 5,000 + service tax + service charge + VAT + Service tax on soft beverage + service tax on hard drink", "A Movie at a multiplex for 2 = Rs. 750 for tickets + convenience fee of Rs. 80 + Food & Beverage = Rs. 2,000" and the list goes on. FOR EVERYTHING, THERE'S MASTER CARD. SPEND BITCH, SPEND YOUR MONEY, BUY ON CREDIT, GO BANKRUPT BITCH!

We are at WAR in INDIA. Truly, look at it from all perspectives. Picture this. 'Airtel' comes up with the most AWESOME marketing campaign with a daft girl as its brand ambassador to market its AWESOME '4G' service. They give out free sim cards as well without the customer wanting it. You feel EXCITED, "YAAY, I'VE GOT A FREE 4G SIM, SO COOL". What Airtel does not tell you is that you will be CHARGED a BOMB for the 4G Plan and that they will RIP THE SHIT out of you by MAGICALLY over charging for the service you did not avail. You get a SMS from Airtel "You have consumed 100% data assigned to you. WOHOOO! Spend MORE MONEY for the FUCKING FREE SIM we GAVE you which half the time does not connect to the network." BAM! There you go, paying endlessly for a service you never received. 

Let me give you another situation of a product. You go buy a TV unit or an Air Conditioner from a dealer of say LG or Samsung. They commit a 48 hours installation and you're super kicked about parking your ass in your chilled room while watching the Cricket World Cup match on your 55 inch TV Screen. You have paid up. You do not hear from the dealer on delivery of your products. You call them up and they come back with a lame response. "Sorry Sir/Mam, your products will be delivered in the next 48 hours." WHAT DO YOU DO? Wait on. Ideally, we should as a customer ask for a compensation from the brand for the delay. We don't do that ANYMORE? Why? Are we being taken for granted by these brands? 

YES. You got that right. We are being SUCKED into the most PATHETIC CORPORATE SCENARIO of 'NO RIGHTS TO QUESTION' a corporate on how they treat us. We are heading towards a dangerous situation where in, EVEN AFTER BEING GIVEN THE CHOICE as a consumer, we will NOT HAVE A CHOICE to respectful customer service. 

E-Commerce!! What's happening? Order a product, you get a brick instead. The product most of the times turns out to be defective and the seller refuses to take it back. Do ANY OF THESE SELLERS mention that certain products being sold on their website have NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED by the manufacturer and the warranty is INVALID? They just SELL THE STUFF and WE CANNOT DO SHIT ABOUT IT, because at the end we are just BLOODY CONSUMERS, PAYING FOR A PRODUCT or SERVICE. Is it NOT how everything is working now? 

We as Indians are being shown newer sources of MONEY, higher SALARIES (What are SAVINGS?), unlimited CREDIT CARDS (cannot pay them back), fancy CARS and BIKES (No roads left to drive though) and but are we getting the DUE RIGHT of a consumer to fight over the wrong doings of these Corporates? Who gives a DAMN? It's TIME WE SHOULD start demanding what we deserve, if not through our legal SYSTEM, through SOCIAL MEDIA tools. Use Twitter (the most effective way of getting a brand to notice your problems). Shame them on Facebook. Go after them and they'll fix your issues right then and there (MOSTLY). 

Another example, buy a car, and go to a service center NOT owned by the car brand but a franchise; that's how most car brands operate. Ask for the servicing price. They say its Rs. XXXX + this + this + labour, etc. Call up another service station in the same area, you will be taken aback because the other guy is charging you 20% more than the first one. We pay a premium for ALMOST EVERYTHING that we buy, now should we pay furthermore than what's required for the servicing of our car. But do WE REALLY BOTHER? NO! SHOULD WE BOTHER?  YES! 

BRANDED LEGALIZED CORRUPTION is what I choose to call this nonsensical behaviour by most Indian and International brands. Let us take a STAND and WE as CONSUMERS shall come out as Winners sooner or later. THINK ABOUT IT. PLEASE. 

Panama Leads to India’s Narrowest Alleys

In April 2016, the world was blown away by the Panama Papers - a massive 2.6 terabyte leak of confidential documents revealing the deep web of international corruption and tax evasion from the world's political and business elite.

Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca which helps foreigners to set up international companies to buffer their financial assets leaked the papers to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists to uncover the offshore holdings and latent financial dealings of some of the world's most filthy, munificent and renowned names. It is an extensive investigation, based on a massive trove of documents provided by an anonymous source. Around 140 political figures from over 50 countries, including 12 current or former heads of states are part of this probe.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalism, based in Washington, said the cache of 11.5 million records features over 500 Indians linked to offshore firms. The Indian Express, an English daily, undertook an 8-month long investigation into the data leak.

The repercussions of the Panama Papers leaks are being felt in India as well. A roster of rich and famous people, comprising billionaire property baron Kushal Pal Singh, real estate magnate Sameer Gehlaut, and  the Adani brothers - Vinod Adani and Gautam Adani have been exposed. The list uncovered also includes veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan and his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.  Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has said the report is “totally untrue.” Real estate tycoons Singh and Gehlaut have said that full disclosures have been made to the suited authorities and that they have not defied any laws.

The government has welcomed the disclosure of Panama Papers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had vowed to retrieve India’s black money from offshore shelters as part of his top electoral promise in 2014, has ordered an investigation consisting of tax authorities, federal investigators, as well as the central bank.

India’s erstwhile Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) had imposed regulations and restrictions for long on residents from transferring funds abroad due to foreign exchange deficit in the country, but, billions were siphoned off to foreign havens. The foreign exchange rules were simplified and eased in the year 2004 with the Liberalized Remittance Scheme that allowed individuals to remit $25,000 per annum, the limit of which today stands at $250,000.

There is no shortfall in rules and regulations for foreign exchange transactions in India. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, The Foreign Exchange Management Act (a less oppressive version of FERA), the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, the  Income-Tax Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act are some of them. However, an observation from a technical point disregards the spirit of these laws. Some people dissent that they had not set up any offshore company which was illegal; they only acquired them, which was permitted, while others say that they are non-resident Indians (NRI) to whom the Indian tax and other rules and regulations don’t apply.

The Indian Express has promised many more revelations in the days to come. The untold is yet to be revealed.

Dehradun Gears Up to take off its First Literature Festival

Dehradun, a beautiful place, surrounded by the majestic Himalayas, has been one of the oldest cities in India. It has been a hub of vital institutions and is also known for being a home to many avid readers and illustrious authors.

All these years, this historical city had been deprived of an organised, well-planned mega literary festival, but now there is a change of heart; Dehradun will see its first ever literature festival unfold on 22^nd April, 2016. This two-day event is being organised by World Integrity Center in association with Harvard Club of India, and Springhead Communications.

The first edition of Dehradun Literature Festival is going to be a literary extravaganza as it is bringing together some of the most well-known authors, publishing houses, and bibliophiles from all over the country, under one roof. This long awaited lit-fest is sure to act as a catalyst in augmenting the city’s image.

What the Lit-Fest has in Store for You?

In such disheveled times, Dehradun Literature Festival 2016 aims to create a path to fill our tired and overworked minds with the much needed contentment.

ASHWIN SANGHI

More than twenty five authors from different genres, along with six prestigious publishing houses will be present at the festival. Some of the noted authors making it to the event include Ashwin Sanghi, Nayantara Sahgal, Anisha Motwani, Ranjit Lal, Humra Quraishi, Novoneel Chakraborty, Chetan D Narain, Omair Ahmad, Kota Neelima, Sanil Sachar, Dev Lahiri, and Swapna Liddle. This lit-fest is going to be an iconic platform where one will be able to meet, interact and engage with his/her favourite authors for hours.

World Integrity Center

Adding more to the exciting factors, the literary meet is going to be a perfect occasion to network, engage and communicate with other like-minded literature enthusiasts. The festival will conduct a Book Fair, one-to-one sessions with the authors, and not to forget, an amazing panel discussion; the schedule for the two-day event has been well-crafted to be filled with intellectual activities, all day long. Like they say, "All is well that ends well", and so the event is planned  to end with a melodious closing musical ceremony by India's top Swatantra Rock Band.

World Integrity Center, the host of this event, is housed in a colonial building with gardens all around it, designed and created to fill one's mind with the joy of beauty. The center includes tastefully constructed dining, lodging and rejuvenating facilities within its premises. It is centrally located in the heart of the city, and is also known for serving lip-smacking food.

 

Are We Becoming Social Sadists?

A sadist is someone who enjoys inflicting pain on others. Sadists like seeing other people hurt.  Anyone who is mean and enjoys it — like a bully — can be considered a sadist. If you've ever been mean to someone and enjoyed it then, Congrats! you have been a little sadistic.

How many times have you enjoyed Roadies' auditions where judges have eternally bullied the contestants, or Bigg Boss where a group virtually harasses a weakling, or Spilstvilla where a girl is “dumped” by her own group of friends?

Welcome to the 21^st century, where apart from being developed we have managed to evolve as societal sadists! In today's world, entertainment has become a way to satisfy our shallowness. What happened to Satyajit Ray’s drama, shows like Malgudi Days, and Hum Log which helped society to rethink and renovate on the wrinkles brought by the system? And should we be happier that the sadist shows are popularly being known as "Reality Shows"!!

Ever wondered what some of the cartoon shows like Shin Chan, Ogi the Cockroach, are doing to the tender minds of this nation, and some ever-traumatizing 'saas-bahu' serials to the minds of young girls who already can’t relate to marriage? If art is called the mirror of society then should we be scared to be called its reflection?

It is high time that we stand in the middle of the reality show saga and introspect as to why we prefer sadistic entertainment. Where are we going as a society? Should we be afraid of the fact that our reaction towards a fight will permanently be a “smirk”?  Are these reality shows slowly becoming a parasite in our society?

Time to think about the ‘reality’ before you switch on that TV!

Unfair and Lovely – It’s More in their Minds than in your Skin

Sequence of Pictures taken by Pax Jones

Source: bbc.com

We live in a society where prejudice seeps into every aspect of our lives.  Right from the time we enter the world to the time we take our last breath, we are governed by the whims and fancies of the social order, but how many times do we raise a question on these set norms? We accept them, respect them like any other worldly truth, nurture them, and bequeath them further to our next generation. Racism, casteism, colourism, and sexism are a few to name from the never-ending list of such set norms.

However, there are people, and the number of such people is so less that they can be counted on one’s finger tips, who have taken initiatives to break the prevalent stereotypes. Of late what millions of people from all over the world are talking about on the various social media spheres is the ‘Unfair and Lovely’ campaign created by three students from the University of Texas. Targeting the South Asian countries, where ‘Dark Skin is Desirable’ says no one; this campaign is a food for thought about how valid it is to curtail people from various opportunities on the basis of skin colour. Be it prospects of marriage or even jobs that have nothing to do with one’s skin colour, the unfathomable obsession with fair skin can be distinctly felt in the air of these countries. People with dark skin are judged, humiliated at every step in life as they are made to feel the limitation of options, starting from getting clothes to life partners. 

lincyshroom shares her photo on Instagram
Source: bbc.com

Statements told to kids again and again in almost every household, and mind you to the girl child especially include – “Don’t play in the sun, otherwise you’ll become dark. Don’t drink tea, or else you’ll ruin you fair skin.” Do we realize what potential these statements carry in breeding insecurities in young minds about their skin colour? Well, these insecurities have now become so deep-rooted and propagating that the 180$ million skin whitening industry in India (source: Jewish Business News, 2015) is feeding on them!

Basing its name on India’s popular skin whitening cream Fair & Lovely, the Unfair and Lovely campaign celebrates the beauty that lies in dark skin. It has taken inspiration from a project started in December, 2015 by Pax Jones, a 21 years old Black student from the same university, who created a strikingly beautiful string of snaps featuring her sisters Yanusha and Mirusha, and South Asian friends studying with her.

#unfairandlovely has been creating ceaseless discussions on Facebook and Twitter, besides stirring the social media metrics by garnering millions of impressions. The campaign asked people to take pride in their dark skin and post their pictures on their social media accounts. It was reported that Instagram saw posts from about one thousand people. When asked what the aim was for starting such a campaign, Pax Jones told BBC - "We wanted to start a conversation and I think we have succeeded in that".  

How VR Technology is Changing our Lives

VR or 'Virtual Reality' has been one of the most rapidly growing technologies in the 21^st century where the idea is to let people interact with objects, other people and their environment. 

One of the most recognizable and known objects of virtual reality is the head-mounted display also known as Virtual Reality Headset or VR Glasses. The growing trend of this technology has been seen in the market in the last few years. The application of it is not only limited to create a 3D world or a fantasy but it also has a much more practical scope.

In the field of healthcare, VR is used for surgery training, robotic surgery and phobia treatment. Doctors have also started using virtual twins of their patients, to practice surgery before the actual operation.

Virtual Reality in education sector aims to change the approach of receiving knowledge. As students are becoming more tech-savvy, an interactive 3D world will give them better understanding of objects with the opportunity of getting into physical engagement with them.

When Facebook bought Oculus in 2014, the founder of the social networking site, Mark Zuckerberg made it clear that this technology is beyond games and called it a “New Communication Platform”. 

Workplaces are also being converted into virtual spaces at low cost through the use of this technology. Now meeting can be held with people located in different places,  virtual tours of different office locations can be taken, employees can be trained and products and services can be also developed using this technology.

Famous series like Star Wars, Game of Thrones, and Final Fantasy have got the VR treatment. Such a use of virtual reality in the entertainment sector has increased the engagement rate of the audience. 

VR technology is also used for training simulation for soldiers where they are re-enacted a particular scenario that include battlefield simulation, flight simulation etc. 

Travelling has become more affordable now with VR technologies as one can strap on the glasses and travel to various exotic islands, mountains, and tropical forests within seconds.  

A lot more technologies are coming in the near future where one will be able to stand next to the performer or have his/her own music festival. Oculus is in the process of developing a virtual reality movie called 'Lost' where the plot will be directly affected by the viewer. The latest entry in the gaming world is Project Natal which requires no keyboard and controller; only the user’s voice and motions serves as a medium of interaction.