Editor,
On the blistering cold day of 20thJanuary, 2016 a few friends and I drove up from Guwahati, and reached your beautiful city, just in time for lunch. At my insistence, we chose Hotel Pinewood, since I have always liked the locale and ambience of the place.Upon entering, we went directly to the “Coffee Shop”. Food orders placed, we were served water and a room blower was even arranged to keep our feet warm!! About forty five minutes after we sat down and placed the order, a lady comes running into the room, all aghast and apologetic…saying,” we are very sorry, the kitchen is being cleaned today, so nothing can be served”. And added, if we wanted, we could wait. Shocking! I’m all for cleanliness and renovation, but the incident left a very bitter taste in my mouth. My friends and I left, and went to another place for lunch, but I wonder how I would have felt, had it been an official business lunch. What would I have told my guests? It is so surprising, that the waiter serving meals, taking the menu order from patrons, had no idea that the kitchen was not functioning for the day? I might ask too, where was the management when all this was happening? Is nobody responsible? Nobody knows what’s happening. Is it a wonder then that private restaurants are doing so well? I must say, I am sorely disappointed with Hotel Pinewood. It is supposed to be a Premier Hotel of your beautiful city. Premier? Think again!
Yours etc.,
Subhash B,
Via email
Let the public know!
Editor,
We are all aware that the Government has sealed some buildings in the city following the High Court ruling. Two of such buildings include- (a) the building next to United Bank of India’s GS Road Branch and (b) a building next to Bhajanlal Electronics in Police Bazar. I have seen that construction work is going on in one building and that two bank branches have been opened in the other. How can construction work be carried out on a building which has been sealed by the Government? Why doesn’t the media bring light to this issue? Who is coordinating these constructions? Is this yet another face of the Government’s corrupt practices? These questions remain unanswered till date. The majority of people know that these buildings have been sealed but they do not question the construction. If the Government does not break its silence, it will only reveal their ‘corrupt practices.’ Wonder what the High Court has to say about this gross violation of its orders!
Yours etc.,
Pratham Sharma,
Via email
Fragmented by walls of prejudice
Editor,
The editorial, “Caste a curse” ( ST, January 21) has rightly said, “There is enough research that inform us that equal societies almost always do better on human development indices than unequal ones”. In fact, cooperation is the key for existence of everything. Our body could not have functioned had there been quarrel and mutual disrespect among its parts. Simple common sense tells us that coordination among all of its parts is a must for smooth running of a machine.
Therefore, a country which is fragmented by walls of prejudice and hatred can only advance backwards in the field of moral as well as inclusive material progress. A head cannot march forward without legs. As Tagore reminds us, the general rule that he whom you push down will pull you down, prevails.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata