Committee for Khasi language announced

SHILLONG, NOV 27: Quoting Rev Fr H Elias who had said – “Haba ka Ktien ka im, ka Jaidbynriew ka im” bad “Ka Jaidbynriew kaba pule kan ym iap” – which when translated means when a language survives the race will survive and a race that reads in its own language will never die, Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma announced the constitution of a five members committee to take up the issue of including Khasi language in the Eight Schedule of the constitution with the union government.

The chief minister announcement on the floor of the assembly on Thursday came after UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh demanded that the state government pass a resolution on the issue.

The chief minister assured the opposition that the state government is committed in getting the centre to include Khasi language on the Eight Schedule of the constitution. He said that proposed committee will be notified immediately on Friday and its members will include opposition members, the Khasi Author Society members, Sahitya Akademi and any other academicians as may be required.

The chief minister said the committee will work expeditiously and complete the whole process required for getting the Khasi included in the Eighth Schedule.

According to the chief minister the process for impressing on the union government to get the Khasi language included in the Eight Schedule started a few years ago when Khasi and Garo were recognized and notified as Associate Official Language of the state after the Meghalaya State Language Act, 2005 received the Governor’s assent on May 1, 2005.

The chief minister, however, informed that few things have to be fulfilled and this committee shall work on it on an urgent basis. He requested the opposition to propose names of the committee members. He also informed that once the base had been laid, the same committee members would be send as a delegation to take up with the centre government on the need to include Khasi language in the Eight Schedule.

Earlier moving the resolution, UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh gave historical data on the Khasi language and said, “It is very disappointing that till today it is yet to get the recognition that it deserves… Khasi is yet to acquire the status of a language to be included in the Eight Schedule.”

Lyngdoh pointed out if Manipuri and Bodo are included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution for including the Khasi languagethe government must show political will.

Giving data that there is 1.2 million Khasi speaking people, Lyngdoh said, “For the language to survive and sustain itself in the light of growing popularity of English, advance of science and technology, it is important for the language (Khasi) with an ancient root gets patronage and support of the state.”

Lyngdoh said the demand for inclusion of Khasi language in the Eight Schedule is not only for its sentimental value but it is also a language which is a unifier of the Khasi and Jaintia people throughout the length and breadth of the Hynniewtrep region…” He also said the language is widely use in parts of Assam and Bangladesh as well as across the globe.

Making a case of the inclusion of the language ,Lyngdoh said Khasi literature has acquired heights which others have not reached, the Sahitya Akademi awarded two authors of Khasi language which is a demonstration of the growing importance and acceptability of the language.

Apart from Lyngdoh, Hills State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit and UDP’s Jemino Mawthoh and the opposition leader Donkupar Roy the government chief whip Ronnie V Lyngdoh partially supported the issue.

It was Ronnie V Lyngdoh who proposed the formation of a committee to work out on the modalities of having the language included in the Eighth Schedule which was seconded by Congress legislator PN Syiem.

The resolution was later dismissed after the opposition expressed satisfaction on the assurance given by the chief minister.- By Our Reporter