A ‘fare’ deal
There is a popular saying: “Without trust, you have nothing”.
A recent experience by a SJ team member is a testimony to how true the above quote is. Here’s what happened:
The SJ member in question had visited NEIAH to attend to some medical needs. After completing the formalities, he along with one of his family member waited outside the Mawdiangdiang police station, located at the entrance to NEIAH, hoping to avail the service of a shared taxi.
A few minutes later, a cab stopped by and the driver said he would pick passengers till PB only. The two hopped into the back seat, the front seat being already occupied.
One more passenger joined the duo from near the BRO office while a fourth passenger squeezed in at Nongmensong point. Thereafter it was an uneventful ride till PB. The SJ member handed out a Rs 200 note to the driver who politely turned back and asked how much the fare from NEIAH to PB was?
Taken aback, the SJ team member explained that he had been charged Rs 80 when he had made the same trip the previous week.
The driver turned to the other passengers and, very politely, requested them to pay whatever they thought the fare was. They nodded in agreement as the driver returned the change one by one and thanked everyone for solving his dilemma.
“You really have nothing without trust.”
Students march against tobacco
‘Tobacco is injurious to health’, almost all generations of people are familiar with this line. But of late, students have reinvigorated the sheerness of this slogan, marching the city while sloganeering against tobacco use.
Schoolchildren have embarked on an anti-tobacco campaign making the society aware of its ill-effects. From rallies to signature campaign, the children are working in mission mode. At present, you’ll find children walking with a paper or a notebook collecting people’s signatures while advocating against smoke and smokeless tobacco.
It is worrying to note that Meghalaya reports highest number of cancer cases involving throat, nose, lungs and oesophagus.
Earlier this week, the SJ team saw a child requesting a man for his signature in a locality. A closer look disclosed that the man was chewing gutka as he was cheerfully signing the sheet! Even adults need awareness to shun tobacco.