Shillong: The Khasi Authors’ Society (KAS) on Monday pressed its demand to make Khasi language as an official language instead of only as an associate language.
The KAS delegation met Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma in the main Secretariat and presented a memorandum to him asking the state government to amend the Meghalaya State Language Act, 2005 that made Khasi and Garo languages as the associate official languages.
After meeting the Chief Minister, KAS president, DRL Nonglait told reporters that as of now the Khasi language has been made only as an associate official language but not an official language in the state.
Nonglait said that the chief minister has assured to examine the matter as well as the Meghalaya State Language Act, 2005 before taking any decision to bring an amendment.
“If the Garo language is also made an official language along with the Khasi language it would be also better. But as the KAS, we are pressing to the government that the Khasi language should be made an official language,” Nonglait said.
He said that if foreign language like English continued to be an become an official language in the state, why not the mother tongue of the major tribes of the state like Khasi language be made an official language.
He recalled that the fight for statehood was mainly on the language issue after the Assamese was made an official language of Assam, but sadly, it was illogical that the mother tongue is yet to be an official language but has been made only as an associate official language.
On the demand to include Khasi language into the 8th Schedule of the Constitution, Nonglait said that the KAS would follow up and seek clarifications from the Ministry of Home Affairs the status of the Khasi language.
“In March this year, the MHA has informed that it was examining the issue. Now, we want to know what is its status,” Nonglait said.
The KAS said that it’s time that the Central Government bring an official bill to include the Khasi language into the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.
Nonglait said that the KAS has also requested the state government to write a letter to the Centre to bring an official bill in the upcoming winter session of Parliament to include the Khasi language in the 8th Schedule.
The Chief Minister has also assured to send a letter to the Centre.
“We don’t want our MPs to just move a private members bill on this but let there be an official bill on the inclusion of Khasi language in the 8th Schedule,” Nonglait added.
Recently the KAS has organised a national seminar on Khasi language in New Delhi besides a demonstration at Jantar Mantar to include Khasi language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. .
