Tech Review: State.com

Rising above the clout of social networking sites like Facebook, Google+, Myspace and the likes, a new media platform is currently creating silent waves in the deep ocean that our social media community is. It is being launched in India for the first time and a select few bloggers have been given the opportunity to join it, experience it and review it. I'm happily one of those few. :D

So cutting directly to the chase, State.com is a new media platform that changes the way you use social media to state your opinion. It focuses on your opinion and helps you connect to like-minded people based on similar opinions on things. It gives no importance to the number of friends in your friend list or the amounts of likes you get. It has a simple logic - you state your opinions on the platform on anything and everything under the sun that means something to you. It could be a gummy bear candy, a political coup or a form of sports, you may state your opinions on any topic just by clicking on the 'STATE' button at the top of the screen, selecting appropriate word(s) for it and making a comment underneath. It is as simple as that to state an opinion, no matter how trivial or how vital. Even if you don't find a topic that you want to opine on, you can simply create a new topic and let others state their opinions on it.

On the face of it, all of this seems like a futile exercise. But it isn't. Because as it is happening today, a few majoritarian opinions normally end up becoming the most accepted opinions on social media, leaving out little space for differing views to get a voice or be heard. State.com helps bring such subjugated voices to the fore. It gives an equal footing to everybody to opine on things that matter to them, and connect with people who think the same as they do. Check out how it works here. This video pretty much explains how one is supposed to go about with using State. (I'm somehow unable to embed the video here - apologies!)

Why is state.com good? Well, for starters, it lets you be heard, no matter how influential or unknown you are. It just asks for your opinion, that is all. No likes, no followers, no hashtags, no frivolities of any kind. Further, it provides a single platform where myriad views about important issues converge to give you a complete picture of what the world and specific pockets of it are thinking about a certain issue or development or a product. In the long run it could help governments, companies, celebrities and the people in power to gauge people's opinions about their actions and decisions, and make informed decisions keeping in view the mass sentiment about something.

In that, State.com seems to be the online counterpart of what democracy is in the field of governance.

The pros of State.com majorly lie in its sheer simplicity and ease of access. It is very simple to use, with only a few clicks required for one's opinions on any topic to be stated on the platform. It is quick and crisp to use and doesn't take up a lot of your precious time that could be spent elsewhere in a more productive manner. The website is conspicuous by its simple and elegant design, with everything clearly laid out and organized to help the user find what (s)he is looking for with minimum effort. All the trending topics are displayed on the homepage for one to quickly reach and opine on.

How does one connect with like-minded people? Simply by tuning into them by clicking the radio-tuner-like button on the extreme upper right corner of their profiles. Stating opinions is also made super-easy and fun by grouping opinion words according to their popularity into Top Word Groups. Suggestions of some of the most-used words are also offered for you to choose from while stating your opinion on something. There are several other novel features, like the Sentiment Range, which shows you where your opinion stands in terms of intensity of sentiment as compared to global sentiments on the particular topic. Once you have stated an opinion, the site also generates insights related to the topic on State.com.

The whole process of stating is just so simple and fun, the website will have you hooked for long. The only catch being, unlike other social media and networking sites, hooking on to this will only enrich your mind and enlighten you about the global sentiment on issues of significance around the world. It's like reading the newspaper, but in an interesting and interactive way, so that your personal opinions on the newsclips also count and elicit similar or differing opinions from others as well.

This is a completely novel concept in the world of social media, and I sincerely hope it accomplishes its purpose of bringing opinions together and building an influential group of people that can affect how things are done in the world. It has the simplicity yet the power to bring change in how we share and connect. More power to State.com!

Check out this fun video that will tell you what you've been doing wrong all this time:

Check out State.com right away folks, it's where the opinionated classes are heading right now!


[This review is part of a product review programme by Blogadda.com and State.com]

Book Review: Far Beyond the Dead End - Saikat Baksi

After a long time I have finally come around to reading novels again. I recently started reading Nine Lives by William Dalrymple, but midway through it I received the book 'Far Beyond The Dead End' by the author Saikat Baksi. I was apprehensive about taking it up, given my self-imposed sabbatical from book reviews for a long time. But the theme of the book compelled me to give it a chance. And I read it in one go - literally.

Saikat Baksi's fourth novel, Far Beyond The Dead End is set in the Harappan era some 3,500 years in the past. The book is a brilliant piece of fiction, with intricately carved characters and a backdrop that depicts the lifestyle and town planning of the settlements that would have constituted the Indus Valley Civilisation thousands of years ago. The USP of the book is the fact that every page is a surprise, unpredictable and unique, because most of us haven't read a book of this genre ever before. There's nothing to compare it to. This single factor makes it a very interesting read.

The pages gradually and painstakingly unfold how the Harappans lived, what they ate, how and with whom they traded and how everyday administration was carried out back then. Now this information is easily available in a lot of historians' and archaeologists' research papers and books on their findings about the bygone civilisation. But they won't find many takers among the common readers, being only of interest to students or enthusiasts of history. Herein comes the author, who has cleverly banked upon this lacuna and moulded the history of the civilisation into a fictional plot, building characters that are relatable for the modern readers and interpersonal relations that have their counterparts even in today's society. Thus emerged this book - both a lesson in history as well as an engaging read.

The plot revolves around a few main characters - the sensuous and intellectual Koli, her learned and respected old father, the dreamy and unconventional Sindhu, the greedy and calculative Girad, and the lovelorn Magan. The story combines elements of love, deceit, greed, art and intellect as the characters indulge in various tactics and methods to achieve what their heart yearns for. The author has admittedly undertaken research for 7 whole years (the bibliography is quite extensive!) before completing this novel, so the authenticity of the facts mentioned and the lifestyle described in the book are not subject to doubt.

Being a perpetual history enthusiast, I already had a good idea about the Indus Valley Civilisation and having that knowledge corroborated so beautifully by this piece of fiction was a delight of sorts for me. Reading the book was like watching an entire ancient civilisation play out in front of my eyes - it was a visual peek into history. I am not sure how many readers would appreciate that, but I sure do.

The crux of the book is quite cliched though - in the end, everything is about the woman. Crimes of passion, hatred, competition and manipulation all revolve around one woman in focus. I didn't particularly like this underlying sub-theme of the novel. I also didn't expect the way in which it concluded, although I understand that it was the only possible and feasible way to end the story. Here are some of the good and bad things about the book that readers must pay heed to.

Pros:

1. The language of the book is lucid and sophisticated, with a good amount of vocabulary thrown in every now and then. It was an easy and fun read for me.

2. With just 224 pages and a simply narrated plot, it is a light read and keeps you hooked so that you can finish it in one or two nights at best.

3. It is priced at a decent Rs. 150, which makes it totally worth the purchase.

Cons:

1. The cover page needs a serious overhaul. The substance and depth of the book are not depicted well through the digitally created murder mystery kind of cover that it presently has. The book deserves a much better and well thought out cover to complement the plot.

2. Being a Grammar Nazi, I found several typographical and grammatical mistakes in the book, particularly during the initial 80-90 pages. The editors of the book need to do a better job before taking out the next batch of copies.

All in all, Far Beyond The Dead End is a good read and deserves more attention and praise than the unassuming author demands. It is a must-read for anyone interested in a mystery/suspense story with a historical twist. I would give 3.5 stars to it.

Store Review: Elaborestore.com

I have this immense addiction to online shopping that I've been trying hard to combat ever since it got out of hand. I was making good progress and had almost overcome it for a long time, when it kicked in again with full force with the impending arrival of my two besties' birthdays back to back (they're both extremely gift-hungry I tell you).

So one day while checking my inbox, I found a mail from the owner of an online store called Elabore, that exclusively sells shawls, scarves and stoles, requesting for a review on my blog. I was intrigued and paid it a visit. And am I not glad I did! The store has the most splendid collection of scarves and stoles in all hues and designs. They come in a wide variety of styles - Jamawar, Printed, Embroidered, Stripes, Checks - and so on. I particularly liked the prints on some of the fine wool and paisley ones, as they were both offbeat and elegant - just the way I like my clothes and accessories to be.

I have a particular soft corner for stoles. They can make the simplest of outfits turn eye-catching if you pair them with the right wrap. Especially with this scorching May-June Delhi heat and the sun breathing fire volleys down my neck, I am glad for an option of a wide variety of scarves and stuff to choose from and order online without having to actually hit the market and sweat it out before you find the perfect piece for you.

Here's what the COO Mr. Pankaj Dhingra has to say about the idea:

"Our idea for concentrating on this particular segment was pretty obvious as it is a truly essential fashion accessory that hasn't yet been promoted in India in a big way even though it is a make of the Indian Subcontinent. It was surprising for us to see that an Indian product which has such a huge market across the world hasn't had its potential tapped into here. So the idea clicked and we started this project. We strongly believe that this particular segment has a huge potential and within a short span of time the idea has indeed blossomed tremendously." 

It was nice of the owner to send across a stole for me to try out. I got a reversible grey number with big and small stars on it. It is made of fine wool, is soft to the touch and extremely light. As it is slightly warm too, it should work well as a stole during summers and a wrap during early winters. The looks and quality of it are good. [Although I had originally chosen an olive green-black stole, but they somehow mixed it up and sent me the wrong one, and two of my e-mails requesting for a replacement have gone unheeded and unreplied to so far.]

Here's a brief low-down on what makes Elabore Store click, and what it needs to work on.

Pros:

 1. It has a really comprehensive range of scarves, stoles and shawls in innumerable colours and styles for all kinds of shoppers, both men and women. Some of the designs are commonly available in the flea market, but many of them are unique and exquisite in design, not easily available in the markets.

 2. The website conveniently classifies the wraps into categories based on occasion, gender, fabric, season, style and price. So we have evening, yoga, meditation, special occasion, outdoor and home shawls. Then we have stoles in Pashmina, cotton, silk, wool, fine wool, synthetic fabrics and their various combinations as well. 

 3. Like any other online store, it has a number of filters for shoppers to narrow down their search according to their preferences and need. Saves time and makes browsing easier. One can also add their favourite pieces to a wishlist and compare them.

 4. The quality of the products is impeccable. In any case if found otherwise, there is an easy return and exchange policy.

 5. They have a policy of free shipping within 7 days across the world. Now that's something to cheer about.

Cons:

 1. The store website could do with some overhauling. Products of the same design but differing in colours could be grouped together as variants of the same product. Further, the descriptions provided for most of the scarves are similar to each other with only minor differences. I know this is too demanding, but I think each product must have its own specific detailed description and not a generic one.

 2. The prices for many products are, umm, a bit too much. The market for scarves and stoles isn't that big in India as yet, and online even less so. I don't think many people would choose to invest so much in buying wraps off the Internet. The store could therefore do with introducing more low and medium priced variants in order to appeal to all kinds of buyers with all kinds of pockets.

Nevertheless, the store will find its niche buyers soon enough. It has a lot to offer for those who prefer shopping from the comfort of their couch and don't mind spending some extra bucks in exchange for a wider variety and a comfortable shopping experience. I would recommend a mandatory visit to the store website or their Facebook page to know more and witness all that I've said above with your own eyes.

P.S. Did I forget to mention they have an inaugural sale going on right now, with upto 50% off on many products? Sign up now to also get Rs. 250 off on a minimum purchase of Rs. 1000. Go on girls, this one's for you.

'Achhe din' may mean nightmares for some.

It is freezing cold. The surroundings are cloaked in a dense fog; I cannot see my feet. The uneven terrain adds to the difficulty in finding the way. I pull harder on my jacket and trudge on, squinting to catch glimpse of safer footing. It has been raining for two days now; there are ditches and pools full of muck everywhere. We lumber on for a while, until the fog caves a little to reveal our destination. Endless rows of tents – mud-walled, tarpaulin-roofed – stand in a sprawl on a huge clearing. The place is desolate save for the occasional child skipping out, only to cast a shy sidelong glance at us before disappearing inside a tent again. There are animals too; I see a goat and a few hens in the distance. We turn towards the driver following us, ask him to park our traveller on the side of the narrow road, and start walking towards the nearest tent.

I am standing amid a group of villagers in Suneithi village of Kairana district in western Uttar Pradesh, which witnessed a brutal communal riot in August-September 2013. A couple of women stand in front of me with their husbands and infant children in tow. Another young boy stares at us with suspicion while tugging at his mother's dress. He has a running nose and furtive eyes. On my side are an old grandmother and a young widow. They are visibly elated to see a group of sheher-wallahs in their camp. For them, it means just one thing – aid. Financial assistance, items of daily use like toiletries and solar lanterns, or maybe the elusive promise of pucca houses. For them, our arrival gives rise to a plethora of hopes. Their expectant eyes cause the dense air to come down on our shoulders slightly heavier.

I ask them about the incident and its aftermath. Their eyes get beady and distant. The Muslims of Muzaffarnagar and adjoining villages had been somewhat aware of the Hindu-Muslim tensions brewing in the village community for some time, one of the men explains. Then one day the news came: they were cornered by a horde of men from the area's majority community, the Jats, and were to flee for their lives. It was all very sudden; the men kept watch over their houses at night while the women made preparations for the escape. Nobody slept that night. Morning came and they fled carrying minimum possible belongings, leaving their homes, lives, and livelihoods behind. Some were lucky enough to have escaped before the real violence descended; many others saw their family members and neighbours being cut into halves or burnt alive. It sends a chill down my spine.

I change the topic and ask them about their present situation and future plans. The women instantly break into laments about their living conditions. There is no proper source of water, no fuel to cook, no beds to sleep in but torn blankets, and very little medical aid by way of visits by some charitable doctors. The recent untimely rains have caused water to accumulate on the floor of their tents, and children are contracting pneumonia from the cold. Indeed, a couple of children have died of pneumonia in the past week. The women of the camp barely manage to scrape together some firewood and crop leftovers from nearby forests or farms to use as fuel. My mind is busy contemplating the immense environmental and health hazard such kind of living poses for the community and those living in the surrounding areas. I refrain from making any mention of it.

The men chime in. There is precious little money, and that is spent in getting food for the family, leaving nothing for them to invest in setting up even a small business. There are sparse job opportunities, and those too, at nearby construction sites or brick kilns. Many refugee families assert that they are originally farmers or agricultural workers and consider it beneath their stature to work in brick kilns. I ask if they'd rather live off the dwindling aid packages from outside, or forget class concerns for a while and go to work wherever they can find it. The women vehemently oppose the latter prospect. They insist that they'll sell wares or work on construction sites if need be. The mutual knowledge that such work opportunities for a migrant Muslim population are almost impossible to find in the surrounding villages is silently brushed under the carpet. I don't pry further for fear of breaking their bubble of comfort, or much worse, incensing them. 

* * *

Eight months since that fateful episode, winter has subsided but the worst is still not over for the several thousands of refugees who continue to live in those godforsaken shelters. The aid has all but stopped flowing in; people seem to have forgotten about the refugees. The unfortunate incidents are after all several months in the past now. People have found new charities to devote their time and money to. The refugees realise this and do not depend on incoming help to survive and to feed their children. In a desperate attempt to make a living of their own, many have taken to the surrounding brick kilns and spend 16 hours a day earning just enough to make ends meet. A livelihood outside of those kilns is still a far-fetched dream for most of them.

I, along with a group of 15-20 friends, collected over 3 lakh rupees from family, friends, and whatever other sources we could think of, and made three successive visits, over the course of two months, to a few camps in close vicinity of each other. On our first visit we distributed items of necessity – folding beds and warm clothes to combat the extreme January cold, mugs and buckets with lids for storing water, bathing and washing soaps for sanitation, and stationery for the children who are being deprived of schooling.

 
On our second visit, we talked personally to the men and women in groups and brainstormed ideas on how to help them build a livelihood to break out of this vicious circle of poverty and dependence. Most of them said they did not want any beds or buckets or clothes anymore. If only we could help them set up long-term prospective businesses or help them get employment, they would earn for themselves and be grateful to us forever. It was an eye-opener for us.

 
On our third and final visit, we were men and women on a mission. We arranged for the refugee women to be provided sewing machines and work from the village sarpanch's brother, Dawood bhai, who had been working for their welfare incessantly and of his own volition. We also set up a business model with his help, wherein we gave money to meticulously chosen groups of 5 or 10 men as a loan to buy implements or bicycles and start working with their respective skills. They would then have to return a certain amount as interest on the loans to Dawood bhai each month, as evidence that they were indeed generating income and not squandering off the money. The interest obtained would be used to extend similar loans to more such groups, eventually sustaining a self-sufficient model for their economic empowerment. We also helped widowed and elderly women with requisite funds and knowledge to set up their own independent bangles businesses.

It was the most beautiful and gratifying feeling in the world when the women on our third visit recognised us, confided their more intimate problems in us, and gave us small presents to show their gratitude. All the villagers – men, women, and children – were very hospitable and kind to us. It made everything much more than worthwhile. In hindsight, the entire experience has had a profound impact on my thoughts and life and will stay with me forever.

* * *

When asked if they'd like to return home, the displaced villagers of Shamli refuse point blank. There's nothing left for them to return to. They wish to make their present abode their permanent abode and start life afresh. If only the government would have it, though. They are slowly being evicted or forced to leave the lands they are living on, without the government making any efforts to rehabilitate them or grant substantial monetary assistance or security of life in their native villages. Being a minority community doesn't come easy in a country like India; that too, a community that has historically been subjected to prolonged subjugation and popular disdain. Things were different between the Hindus and Muslims of India before the British decided to play Divide-and-Rule. Things haven't been the same ever since. We can see the ramifications today in the frequent communal riots.

With the elections long over and the incumbent government in power, the political purpose of the riots has been served. But things are probably not going to get any better for these helpless displaced Muslims. Rather worse. The people's mandate has delivered its decision. An election fought on the basis of communal ideology is easy to win with the support of a majority of the population, but to deliver on the promises made to the Hindu majority population will entail oppressing and denigrating the Muslim minority population even further. Achhe din aane wale hain, par sirf satta ke (Good times are in the offing, but only for those in power). It is a lone, long battle from here for those who have no home, no livelihood, and above all, a threat to their lives in their own land. Power is now in the hands of those who never took responsibility for their past failures (and possible involvement) in the horrendous communal riots that have rocked the country's Hindu-Muslim unity in the past. It is a mockery of democracy, a victory of money and media power over truth and merit. The country's economic development may touch the skies in the next five years but the moral and secular fabric of the society is only going downhill from here.

* * *

Common people, including some of my own friends, are divided on how and why the riots happened. A few friends even believe those stories about Muslim men luring Hindu girls into marriages and converting them to Islam in an organised manner, and about the riots being a 'just' retaliation by Hindus to teach the Muslim community a lesson. I have no respect for anyone who supports or promotes such ideas and ideologies despite the best of education. The country is in dire need of 'thinking' Indians. It is easy to blame the 'other', but to undergo what thousands of innocent victims have is a different ballgame altogether.

I can only pray now. For the welfare of the thousands of displaced riot victims and their kith and kin. For my country not to go to the dogs in the coming years. And for my fellow Indians to have the courage and good sense to strive against all odds to uphold India's fragile secular fabric and dignity in the face of communal elements constantly inciting them not to. Amen.

Time to Act. Finally.

Main bahut pareshan thi. Mujhse koi ladka baat nahi karta tha, mera phone kitne kitne din tak bajta hi nahi tha. Inbox mein bhi sirf MTS customer care ke messages bhare rehte the. Main apni zindagi se bahut dukhi thi.

Phir maine Facebook par account banaya, DP ki jagah ek model ki photo lagayi aur kewl language ka istemaal karna shuru kiya. Ab main sirf Yo, Frenzzz, Guyzzz and galzzzz ka use karti thi. Log mujhse baat karne lage. Ladke mujhe fraandship requests bhejne lage, aur to aur mere last status par 52 likes bhi aye the. Main bahut achha mehsus kar rhi hu. All thanks to Facebook! (y)

*

The rest of the post has almost nothing to do with those opening lines (which you have to admit you read in that exact tone.) Except for one lesson that I learnt from this otherwise nonsensical monologue of an obviously desperate girl: the importance of taking things into your own hands in order to bring significant changes into your life.

I've been in a rut these past few weeks. Nothing seems to be going right. I feel alienated. I've been lazy, laidback, morose, occasionally even sad enough to be considered depressed. My productive output has dropped to drastically low levels. And try as I may, I haven't been able to snap out of this state of limbo for weeks.

However, something just sporadically occurred to me today. You see, there's a simple explanation for this state of mine, which for some reason had been eluding me all this while. But it is clear as crystal to me now. I have involuntarily been in a self-destruct phase for a couple of months. I am a restless and energetic person by default - sitting in a place without productive activity for long makes me morose and lazy, which in turn makes me sick. It becomes a vicious circle from there - no productive activity --> sickness --> too much sleep --> laziness --> no productive activity - and so on and on it proceeds.

I think I need to do something really productive with my life, something I absolutely like doing or want to do. That way I would do some constructive work, while also keeping my mind off depressing things and keeping it all healthy and active. It should probably help me focus better on my studies too. What a brainwave! No wonder it never occurred to me for so long. I was just so busy being sick and lazy!

This is however no magic pill. It is just an effort I need to make in order to turn my life around, maybe pamper and pep myself up a bit. I was living in a shell all this time, cut off from my real world, isolated from all things that inspire me. In the field I am pursuing, it is said that the lesser number of distractions and interests you have, the better it is for your success. I think I let this perception get to my head. I completely stopped doing the things that I absolutely love doing - the only 3 things that have always given me pure joy - reading, writing and travelling.

I've had so much to write about that my blog dashboard is flooded with draft posts that never see the light of day. I also stopped taking up freelance work, so no money's been coming in and I've been scraping off of my parents for so many months (*hangs head in shame*). I've also stopped reading - after 22 entire years spent reading novels left right and centre, even in exams, on trips and in isolated corners of cafes! I feel horrible all of a sudden. I picked up Narcopolis during my Bombay trip in January, but a few tens of pages into it, I chucked it into some godforsaken corner of my bookshelf. Then followed The Lowland, only to meet the same fate. My bookshelf is overflowing with the most wonderful books, all lying there biting dust. And I haven't looked at them in ages. I'm a terrible, terrible person. No, I really am.

The travelling bit is a little trickier than that. Study schedules and health issues, as well as the lack of companionship, prevent me from hanging out or visiting places of my interest much. It's a very sad life, what these (us) civil service aspirants lead. But for better or for worse, I have very willingly and passionately chosen this field for myself and will (have to) see it through to the end, no matter how I manage to do that.

One might wonder what I do in my spare time, though, since my studies have obviously not been going well, and I am not pursuing any of my favourite activities either. Well, I guess confessions are in order tonight! So here it is - I utilize most of my spare time either playing card games in my phone, watching movies and TV serial reruns on the laptop or reading Thought Catalog (and related) articles on the Web. It's an utter waste of time, I know. But realizations don't always come in time. I realize now, what a toll my stupid lazy-ass habits have been taking on my physical and mental health. It is an addiction, all of this - games, Internet surfing and movie watching. It sucks you into its warp so hard that you cannot muster the resolve to get out of it and onto your own feet. It cripples you and lets all your creative potential go to waste.

But not anymore. Things are about to change.

(NOTE: I had gone to bed about 2 hours ago. But these thoughts kept me awake, and all of a sudden I jumped out of bed and opened the laptop to write it all down before it conveniently slips my mind tomorrow morning and I fall back into this horrible, life-wrecking rut again.)

So friends, Romans and countrymen, lend me your ears!

For I have resolved, with effect from tonight, that I shall not watch any more movies or TV serial reruns, no matter how free or bored I am. If I do happen to get lured towards the Movies folder, I shall take the drastic step of actually deleting the folder or transferring it to an external hard drive. (Na rahega baans, na bajegi bansuri :D) I shall restrict my freecell-playing and article-reading hobbies to a bare minimum, and intersperse them between studies and other activities. Whenever I am bored or tired of studying, I shall either go for a walk or indulge in some light exercises. Most importantly, I shall devote my leisure hours to reading all of those amazing books I have stacked over the months. I also resolve to clear out all those drafts from my blogger homepage, by completing and posting them here after all. A much-needed boost to my dwindling blog activity and a creative boost to my starved mind. Two birds with one arrow, FTW!

I am also starting my freelance work again, so you will soon be seeing my posts on a well-known travel-related website (more on that, later). The creative juices are all ready and raring to flow again. I just really really wish this adrenaline rush lasts just enough time to get me started on all these life-altering lifestyle changes, before sickness takes over my body and mind again.

Until then, ciao folks, and do keep the encouraging comments coming in. They make my life just that teeny bit better, and much much happier. \(^_^)/