By Sylvanus Lamare
First of all let me draw the attention of the entire community residing in Meghalaya that uses the Khasi language for their day to day interaction by going to what the National Curriculum Framework 2005 stressed upon, “In addition, plurality of textbooks and other material, which could incorporate local knowledge and traditional skills, and a stimulating school environment that responds to the child’s home and community environment, are also suggested. In language, a renewed attempt to implement the three-language formula is suggested, along with an emphasis on the recognition of children’s mother tongues, including tribal languages, as “the best medium of education”. The multilingual character of Indian society should be seen as a resource to promote multilingual proficiency in every child, which includes proficiency in English. This is possible only if learning builds on a sound language. It is important to note that local knowledge and tradition can be best imparted in the local language. Using a foreign language will take away the essence of the local knowledge and traditions.
The NCF 2005 gave importance to the imparting of knowledge through mother tongue and recognises it as “the best medium of education”. It is important to note that in Meghalaya the medium of instruction from class VIII onwards is English and for the Meghalaya Board of School Education which follow the NCF 2005 directive to suddenly decide that Khasi MIL and all other MIL in other Indian languages as Elective subject is totally unexpected and against the directive of NCF 2005. Let us be clear that by MIL we mean Modern Indian Language and not Major Indian Language as claimed by some officials of MBOSE. There is a clear distinction between a course in a Modern Indian Language and as an Elective Language. Khasi as an Elective subject is already in existence in MBOSE, hence, creating another Elective subject by converting Khasi MIL is illogical. The Officials of MBOSE by comparing the syllabus of MBOSE and other states like Kerala and others which the official visited, is totally wrong; the medium of instruction in Kerala and most of the States in India barring some states in North-East is in the mother tongue from class I to class XII and in some states, the mother tongue continues to be a medium of instruction even at the Degree level and Master degree. The official of MBOSE claimed that Khasi MIL is an obstruction to the students to get into JEE, Engineering, Medical etc., I believe it is totally wrong, when almost all the states in India follow the NCERT textbooks which are available free of cost in the NCERT websites and the price of the hardcopy is cheaper, MBOSE decided to have its own syllabus, handing over the printing of books to private agencies and making students of the state strangers to the information received by their counter parts in different parts of India. It is important to note that by appearing the class XI and class XII syllabus sans coaching students will not crack competitive examination like JEE or other entrance examinations. It is time for MBOSE to follow the NCERT text books because they will offer equal opportunity to the students of MBOSE with their counter part in the Country in terms of knowledge and if opportunity is provided for coaching it will assist them in competitive examinations.
Now what will happen to the fight for the inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eight Schedule of the Indian Constitution? The official from MBOSE stated that it is not going to affect and I believe it is totally wrong. How can we demand the inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eight Schedule when as a state we refuse in the first place to accept it as a medium of instruction and now to make matter worse make Khasi MIL from being a compulsory subject to an elective subject and then asking the students to be patriotic by taking Khasi MIL. Earlier the hurdle for inclusion was that Khasi was not the official language or associate official language of the state; today Khasi is the associate official language but it is not a medium of instruction till class XII. Can we overcome this hurdle? Yes, if the Assembly passes that for the sake of better understanding of the different subjects the teachers are allowed and encouraged to impart knowledge in the mother tongue. Will our Legislators do it? I think it is time they did it.
Look at the pathetic pass percentage of students in Garo Hills and in Meghalaya as a whole. English has become a barrier to knowledge and to getting a Secondary School Leaving Certificate and Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate. I do not doubt that English is a global language and we need it, but this global language should not in any way be responsible for the disappearance of small languages like Khasi and the people who are occupying important positions in education should think and act in the interest of the survival and preservation of local languages through education. The fight to include Khasi in the Eight Schedule has to be a fight of every Khasi not the fight of the Khasi Authors’ Society alone; unless it become a mass movement it is not going to go through. The pride of using Khasi should begin at home, in schools, colleges, State Assembly, Offices and all other places of business interaction and day to day interaction. Does Khasi deserve to be included in the Eight Schedule? Yes, as the Austro-Asiatic language under the Mon-Khmer group which have been an island for centuries and still survive, it deserves to be included. Before we get that honorable position we need to respect the language, make it grow through daily usage in school and colleges then we will one day discover that Khasi has become a language of opportunity.
As a teacher of the Khasi language and literature, I have often asked the students how many hours a week they spend studying Khasi MIL; often the result is less than an hour a week. For a subject the students take for granted, they also want to score good marks. It is rather unfair. I believe that if students give adequate time to Khasi MIL, it will become a subject that raises their positions and will give them the credit they need. If Khasi MIL is taken as a subject to decide on whether a candidate should go for engineering or medicine in case of equal marks, that will be an encouraging step for students to study Khasi. It is lamentable that there is a misconception that Khasi MIL is not needed for students of class XI-XII science and commerce. Due to this, there is lack of scientific temperament among students at later stages and the lack of commercial thinking in our own language. The voices that have come into the public domain is to continue to carry on with Khasi MIL as a compulsory subject. It is time to listen to those voices and act accordingly. Every hurdle, must make the community alert and work out a way to achieve a goal it desires. The goal now is the inclusion of Khasi in the Eighth Schedule and it is time to fight together. MBOSE should not be a hindrance by its decision but must assist the community.
(The author is Principal, St Edmunds College)