Editor,
I write to congratulate you on the new dignified, aesthetic look of the Shillong Times. With appearance being so important these days and given that you have an international audience, it is important for an online newspaper to look pleasant. It is important as well to have solid substance. Unfortunately, given the times we live in, we may have to reverse the Platonic order and say that appearance is more important than essence.
My sincere request to the management of the Shillong Times is that you do not go the route of the other major newspapers of India. Please do not let the appearance of the Shillong Times degenerate to the gaudy, glitzy, Bollywood style, semi-pornographic look that afflicts so many of the major Indian newspapers. It is this look that demeans India before international audiences. As a result, they sometimes deride Indian culture as something ultimately vulgar and tawdry, starved materially and erotically. This is truly insulting to the higher ethos of India.
But more important than the international audience are your local and national audiences, which deserve a relief from the general ambience of Bollywood and Hollywood. Today, given the crisis we have in education (especially reading), newspapers serve a great educative purpose. This purpose is ruined if the attention of the reader is distracted by the senses to that which harms the soul.
Therefore it is again my earnest request that you keep the Shillong Times, neat, clean, aesthetically pleasing (as it already is) and uplifting. Please do not go the route of the major Indian newspapers.
Yours etc.,
Deepa Majumdar,
Purdue University, US
JNNURM bus service
Editor,
Your daily published a report (ST June 30, 20 11), saying that the people of Garo Hills highly appreciate the Hon’ble Transport Minister AT Mondal for launching the JNNURM bus services in the city of Shillong with effect from 15th July,2011. In this connection, it may be added that the bus connection in Tura is not at all convenient. For example there are no bus / transport services from Phulbari to Tura after 2:30 pm whereas the last ferry services reached Phulbari Ghat at 5.00 pm. It a miserable condition for the daily passengers who have to come to Tura and its adjoining areas because there are no hotel services at Phulbari for night halt. Again, for the passengers of Tura and its surrounding localities those who are coming from various destinations via Paikan are facing similar problem as there are no any bus services to Tura after 2.00 pm.
Moreover, it is the main route for entering Tura for the passengers, tourist and students ( studying out side) coming from the nearest railway station, at Bongaigaon. So the passengers are facing several problems and are compelled to hire private vehicles with higher charges for reaching their destinations. I would therefore appeal to the MUA Government and Mr Mondal in particular to provide JNNURM bus services in these two important routes to cater to the urgent needs of passengers of Tura and the people of Garo Hills as a whole. Further, I also appeal to the authorities to provide the JNNURM bus service within the Tura Municipal Areas in the interest of common people of Tura and to minimize the expenses incurred by ordinary commuters.
Yours etc.,
R. Sangma,
Chandmari, Tura