Editor,
NEIGRIHMS must be complimented for opening on its ground floor a sale outlet of requisite medicines as per physicians prescriptions; what however, pleases me no end is the fact that on purchase of every medicine strip a respective discount of 20% is allowed from the said outlet and this has undoubtedly lent huge monetary relief to ailing patients in these days when cost of medical-care has escalated exponentially. I hope many, if not all private health care hospitals, nursing homes, medical shops etc. in Shillong would emulate such a noble patient-friendly example, given the fact that such agencies make gargantuan monetary profits as they order medicine and other health-service equipment at the wholesale rate and sell the same to common folks at the invariably printed prices embossed on such items.
I therefore hope that NEIGRIHMS will further explore similar enabling means to render relief to the denizens through such viable people- oriented medical services.
Yours etc,
Jerome K.Diengdoh
Shillong-2
Beef ban!
Editor,
In his timely article, “Ban mania on beef : Acche din in a ram – rajya” (ST, June 2, 2017), Ratan Bhattacharjee has rightly said, “Beef ban comes in with the Hindutva politics in general and its dietary importance for poor Dalits, Adivasis and tribals is being underestimated although it is the cheapest and very rich source of protein.” Indeed, the recent cattle – sale rules must be lifted in the greater interest of the poor. Cruelty to animals should be banned immediately but not slaughtering them for food. What needs to be done is to construct slaughterhouses where animals can be slaughtered in a less painful way and away from the glare of the public and other animals. It is time to protect animals because they are made on occasion objects of cruelty in the name of traditional sports like Jalikattu (bull taming) or dhiro (bull fight).
Cruelty to animals whether it has been delivered in the form of traditional sports, callous practices or for fulfilling sadistic pleasures should, immediately, be banned whereas killing them for food or for saving human beings from their attack must not be prohibited. The former ban is necessary for the survival of humanity and the latter act is a compulsion for the survival of human beings.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata
Are missionary schools forgetting their mission?
Editor,
I congratulate H Elias School, Nongthymmai for the recent SSLC and HSSLC results. The School is run by the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) congregation and was established by (Late) Fr. Usai SDB in 1972. Through this letter I wish to express my deepest gratitude to the school and its management for admitting not only brilliant students but also average and even below average students and also for its focus on uplifting students from rural areas and from poor family backgrounds. This resonates with the true essence of a Catholic Institution and the charisma of Don Bosco.
I believe every Catholic institution is established mainly to uplift the poor, the needy and the not so brilliant students. H Elias School is well known in Khasi Hills but it still maintains its objective to reach out to the less privileged. When you enter the school campus you will be awed by the friendly ambiance. At present the school is under the prudent leadership of a soft spoken and kind hearted, Fr. Sabastian Palatty. The school practices a follow-up culture on every student and his background, which is a fundamental part of the school system and I was mesmerized by this practice.
I have witnessed the school transforming failures into winners nurturing students into confident young men and women and making them believe in themselves and have hope in the future. It is a challenge to train the students coming from diverse family backgrounds but I guarantee that it is always done with civility and in a friendly manner.
H Elias too could have chased for a reputation for that is the present trend, but it maintains its originality of helping the poor and the youth and that is, for me, the real preaching of the Gospel. Every Salesian institution is founded on the premise of helping the youth and most importantly the poor, which is at the heart of Don Bosco’s endeavour. Hence I urge schools from St Peter’s Nongstoiñ to St.Anthony’s Shillong not to forget these basic principles on which the schools were founded and to refrain from laying down conditions that make it impossible for the poor and less intelligent students to get admissions.
Yours etc….
Mickey M.Marweiñ
Pyndengrei, Nongstoiñ