SHILLONG, NOV 6: Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has demanded that the Meghalaya government immediate cancel its notification issued by the MBOSE to include Khasi subject only as a ‘compulsory elective subject’ at the HSSLC level and has threatens to take resort to agitations if the government fails to comply with its demand.
“The government must immediately scrap the notification issued by the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE) failing which we will be compelled to resort to massive agitations,” KHADC chief executive member (CEM) Adelbert Nongrum told reporters on Thursday.
He said, “We demand that Khasi subject should be made a compulsory subject.”
Yesterday, MBOSE executive chairman EP Kharbhih had stated that the board has decided to allow the students to have a choice to choose MIL as a compulsory elective subject and not only as an optional subject as was done earlier.
According to Kharbhih, this is part of the proposal of the MBOSE to change the existing structure and scheme of studies for the HSSLC examinations through a notification issued on September 5, 2013.
As per the notification, it clearly spells out that out of 5 subjects, English would remain as a compulsory subject and MIL/Alternative English may be taken up as one of the elective subject
Nongrum, however, observed, “The move by the MBOSE to make Khasi subject as a secondary subject is being influenced by some external elements to weaken the Khasi language. But we will assure that we will not allow this to happen.”
Pointing out that as per Section 29 (1) of the Sixth Schedule which empowers the district council to preserve the indigenous language, literature and traditional cultural heritage, Nongrum said, “The council will strongly opposed such move because if our own language dies, the identity of our indigenous people will also be at stake.”
In addition, Executive Member (EM) in charge of Education, Grace Mary Kharpuri expressed concern over the proposed move of MBOSE to make Khasi subject as a compulsory elective subject allowing students to make choices based on their interest.
“This proposal of the board will to a great extent pose serious threat to the tradition, cultural heritage and indigenous language,” Kharpuri said.
Kharpuri also informed that the district council had earlier sent a representation to the government urging the need to make Khasi subject as a compulsory subject in all the schools in the state but till today there was no reply from the government.
Stating that Khasi Author’s Society (KAS) has been spearheading the demand for inclusion of Khasi language in the Eight Schedule of the Indian Constitution, Kharpuri said, “However, the move by the MBOSE is just the opposite and is seen as revolting against the movement taken out by the authors towards this issue.”
Kharpuri pointed out that in neigbouring Assam, they are speaking and writing in Assamese which makes them to feel proud of their own language, but felt it is an irony that in Meghalaya, the move is on how to bring an end to “our own language.”- By Our Reporter
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