Editor,
It has been a continued practice for approximately two months now, that students of PMS are practicing for their annual sports and drill display. However, it is a matter of grave concern that small children have to load their bags with books as if they go to school to wage a war with ‘education’. Talking of education, it pathetically saddens me as the parent of a Class V student to see how my child carries a bag of nearly 6 kilos on her back. I would not have been pained had there been constructive use of the load she carries, but to see my daughter, and others as well, carrying this humongous weight just to go to school and practice the entire day for sports makes me think of the fruitfulness of the ‘torture’ the students go through. For one month now, studies at PMS have been going on at a snail’s pace, and all their concentration is on the Mega Sports Day that the school is supposedly planning. Why must a child of Class V carry such a huge weight to school when the school has rather transformed itself into a sports academy? Students throughout the day are made to practice their drills without any respite for two months now. As a parent it amuses me to send my child to a sports academy for seven hours, and not a school. Also, the Unit Tests of PMS commence after the sports. May I ask the school authorities how they plan to conducts the tests because it has been a continued practice at PMS now to huddle the students with the vast syllabus just two days before the test/exam. This raises serious questions on the quality of education at the school.I would not have had much of a problem if sports and academia went hand in hand, but the exact opposite is currently happening. It saddens me to send my child to PMS!
Your’s etc.
Sanbeer S. Ranhotra.
Shillong -3
Alcoholism destroys families
Editor,
A recent study says that women suffer from depression as a result of alcoholism of their husbands. Dancing to the tune of alcohol, these husbands neglect their families, squander their money and became violent towards their wives. So, it is a crying need to curb drinking for the sake of women and children of our country. Government needs to rehabilitate liquor vendors in a sober business but in no way can livelihoods of a few people become an issue affecting the health and lives of so many.
Thanking you,
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata
The menace of beggars
Editor,
I congratulate the KHNAM for highlighting the menace of begging here in Shillong during the recent past. I have seen many beggars sleeping on bus waiting sheds and sitting on various locations in Police Bazar with their begging bowls. There are also other types of beggars emerging in the city. They are groups of people termed as pressure groups and who claim to be NGOs. These groups move from one shop to another in style begging for cash from businessmen with an intimidating approach. I would suggest the KHNAM to work together with the Shillong Municipal Board and also with the Nongpoh Town Committee to weed out these beggars.
Yours etc.,
Malcolm W Lyngdoh
Shillong-8
TDS deduction from fixed deposit.
Editor,
I would like to draw the attention of all concerned that tax is being deducted at source from my fixed deposits. Local SBI officers could not give me a satisfactory answer as to what law allows them to deduct TDS from a tribal who is exempted from payment of Income Tax? They made me understand that it is under Income Tax Law. If so, I would like to mention that I am exempted from paying income tax u/s 10(26) of IT Act, being a Scheduled Tribe of Meghalaya. Since the amount was earned by me in Meghalaya and deposited in SBI in Meghalaya, it should have been exempted from income tax. They informed me that I have to submit some forms to get back the deducted amount. But they could not tell me exactly what is to be done to get back the amount. I fail to understand why the amount was deducted if it is going to be refunded, which is lot of needless work and harassment to persons like me. Since I am 84 years old running from pillar to post is not a very pleasant job.I shall be grateful to the authorities concerned if they would kindly clarify under which law TDSis being deducted from me and others like me from their fixed deposits, and how I can get the amount refunded.
Yours etc.,
Dr. Sanderson Sangma
Tura – 2.