Editor,
I would like to bring to the attention of the authorities concerned about the lackadaisical attitude of a male staff at the SBI, 3rd Mile Branch. A 93 year old person went to the bank on September 7, 2022 to update his passbook. The particular staff who was approached did not show courtesy to the senior citizen who did not know to update the passbook by using the ATM machine. At the intervention of an acquaintance of the senior citizen who is familiar with bank procedures, the staff concerned was forced to offer assistance. As he was not able to complete the task, he asked the senior citizen to come back after two hours. But when the senior citizen returned after two hours, the task was still incomplete. Even at the time of writing this letter, the simple task is still pending.
In the month of July, I went to this bank to open an account for my daughter who was preparing to go out of the state for studies. To my dismay, it was the same staff who told us that the bank at the moment does not have enough staff and as such a new account cannot be opened in this branch at least for a month. But when I went to another SBI branch in Shillong, the account was opened on the spot.
Earlier, all staff at this bank were very helpful and polite. Indeed, most people were very happy with this bank and the way it was functioning. But this experience and the attitude of bank staff at this branch towards customers and especially towards senior citizens has left me wondering as to whether I should continue banking with this bank. I am sure that I am not the only one asking this question.
Being a resident of a locality where we have limited choices when it comes to banking, I request the concerned authorities to kindly look into the matter so that the bank can faithfully serve the people of the localities in the area.
Yours etc.,
B J Syiemlieh,
Nongkseh
Pine Mount School’s fall from grace
Editor,
As a past pupil of Pine Mount School this is indeed the school that I and perhaps all the alumni of the school love and cherish. There is a kind of attachment that we have with the school that has moulded us into the beings that we are today. It was an ardent wish of my mother for me to study in this prestigious institution. When I first set foot into the school as a student of Class II, I was a shy young girl and unsure of the new place. With the passage of time, I became one with the school. Pine Mount became my identity. My teachers were guides we looked up to and so revered and respected. For us, our teachers were placed on a pedestal and they deserve all the reverence.
Pine Mount was then known for its glory and high ideals. These “high ideals” were the ones taught by our teachers in school that indeed had and at least for me have been and will always be my guide. The school wasn’t merely only academically oriented. In fact, every school and every educational institution should be one that nurtures minds, hearts and souls. Being in school for nearly 6 – 7 hours has a greater purpose than just book learning. It is here in this place that we form bonds, become families, share our fears and sorrows, happiness and joys. If this may sound like utopia, well let me clear the misconception that there isn’t such a place for life is a bundle of beautiful contradictions. There were ups and downs, the highs and the lows but our teachers were always there for us.
Since I left school, down the line the name and fame of Pine Mount seems to have gradually but surely deteriorated. Being in the news for all the wrong reasons has certainly brought in feelings of remorse and great pain. The school that was an epitome of prestige, distinction, recognition is being pulled down way below its image and glory. We hear complaints from parents of how things are not the same anymore. The school is no longer a model of excellence. There are lamentations from all quarters. But what is heart-breaking is to see the teachers carrying black flags, staging a protest with some of them being teachers, who not only taught me when I was in Class XI and XII, but teachers I cherish and hold very close to my heart.
It is indeed very disturbing. For them to voice their concerns out in the open only means that things have become so murky and sinister and so out of control that no amount of trying to solve those within the school premises has helped. What is wrong must be set right. Nepotism, favouritism, high-handedness must take a back seat. No one has the right to play with the lives and future of our young minds. They are our pillars of tomorrow and therefore deserve utmost care and nurturing. As an alumnus, my sincere and earnest desire is to see the teachers of my school giving their best and staying happy while the students grow in the glory of, “the high ideals taught in school” and for my school to regain its name, honour and integrity.
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email