Editor,
Through your esteemed daily I wish to express my gratitude for the customer service extended by the Tura Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd, Tura. Nowadays, while the customer service in most nationalised and commercial banks has deteriorated I am impressed with the kind of services being offered to its customers by young and smart credit officers of the above Bank. Recently, I accompanied a friend of mine, who went to inquire about a loan. We were attended by one young officer, aged about 30 years, who is very fluent in English and who tried to answer our queries even in Hindi, though he himself is a Garo. The information he provided was very clear and helpful. He informed us about the total amount of interest a borrower would have to pay for the amount he borrows from the Bank and so on. What impressed me most is that he knows the formula for calculating monthly instalment (EMI), which even the senior branch manager of SBI could not tell me earlier. They (SBI) entirely depend on their software or given charts for calculating the same. His extra ordinary efforts to resolve all our queries at one visit forced me to change my perception of Banks. Earlier I had visit my banker SBI several times just to get my statement of accounts. I appreciate this attitude and believe that the said Bank trained their staff professionally. My opinion is that if small Co-operative Banks in a tiny town like Tura could employ such vibrant, well educated and soft skilled staff why can’t nationalised banks like SBI do so? I believe many of my friends had some horrible experiences with the nationalised banks and many of the people have their worst experience with SBI services. Such big banks should not feel shy to learn a lesson from a humble bank like Tura Urban Bank. Their employees should improve their behaviour and should be given some management training on how to behave with customers.
Yours etc.,
Harvester Diengdoh
Tura
Traffic Police
Editor,
Apropos the letter written by James Pariat (ST June 30, 2011) I totally disagree with the allegations he has made against the inefficiency of the Traffic Police in Shillong. In fact, I would like to mention here that the traffic management has really improved now. The Traffic Police is one of the most visible departments of the Government. We find traffic personnel in each and every juncture of Shillong who are really helpful towards the public with their directions. They are very disciplined and well trained to manage the traffic efficiently, especially during peak hours. Nowadays traffic is always on the move; we don’t need to wait for long hours to move from one place to another. Moreover the updates that we get on the radio and the internet are really helpful. They enable us to avoid the congested places and take a separate route, to reach our destination. The traffic scenario is so far, much better than any other state in the North-east according to what I have experienced. Driving has really become easy with the improved traffic management in Shillong. Lastly I would like to congratulate the Traffic Police for managing the traffic so well during the floods on 29/06/2011.
Yours etc,
David Diengdoh
Shillong -14
Insurgents or terrorists?
Editor,
The news of GNLA’s ultimatum of blowing up public places is shocking, to say the least. If it happens, this Garo insurgent group will cease to be called an insurgent group henceforth. Correct me, but aren’t insurgents known to largely target state establishments? But, by threatening to damage places where the common man walks freely, the GNLA is doing more damage to its credentials. I detest and condemn such a threat from GNLA and hope all like minded citizens would do the same. I would appeal to the GNLA to retain its agenda of fighting the system as it always did. Like warriors!
Yours etc.,
Silver Dkhar,
Via email
Untenable observations
Editor,
Apropos Batskhem Myrboh’s letter (ST July 14, 2011) in your esteemeddaily alluding that Khasi tradition is influenced by Europeans ispreposterous. The author’s comments that our tradition and customs arenot our own but are the outcomes of influences and impositions by the \British rulers are baseless. As believers of the indigenous faith, wehave been taught by our belief systems and faith (Niamtre) that ourtraditions and customs have been there since time immemorial. BahMyrboh’s comments attempt to demean the sanctity of our faith and tobelittle the teachings and traditions of our ancestors which have comedown to us through oral tradition and are now captured in writing.Ours is a community that is unique and distinctive. One wonders overthe source of this idealism. Another comment of Bah Myrboh’s that weKhasi women should be grateful to the British with regards toownership of property is disgusting because Khasi women havetraditionally been custodians of property. Indeed, Khasi woman arestrong-willed and determined to uphold what belongs to them. If at allKhasi women need to be grateful to then it is to our tradition, customand culture that are so closely embedded in our hearts.Khasi society is dynamic otherwise it would not have survived tilldate. It’s dynamism and pragmatism can be witnessed from the factthat in the present circumstances a Khasi Jaintia household does givea share of the family property to a boy or a girl while at the sametime upholding our tradition, where the youngest daughter still getsthe larger share than her siblings. After all she is to attend to heraged parents and is the custodian of parental property. TheKhasi-Jaintia traditions, customs and faith have survived Europeaninfluences then and will continue to do so in the future.
Yours etc.,
Jennifer Dkhar,
Shillong – 4