Educational conspiracy to de-popularise Khasi language: KHADC CEM
SHILLONG: KHADC CEM Adelbert Nongrum has termed the MBOSE notification to make MIL an elective subject as an ‘educational conspiracy’ to de-popularise the Khasi language.
“I strongly suspect that there is some hidden agenda behind this decision,” Nongrum said while speaking at a panel discussion on the topic “The decision of MBOSE to make MIL (Khasi) as an elective subject” organised by KSU Mawlai Circle to commemorate the 74th Death Anniversary of legendary Khasi poet U Soso Tham at NEHU Seminar Hall here on Thursday.
He also expressed surprised that the Board had taken such a major policy decision without holding any consultation with the concerned stakeholders.
“We will not accept this decision to weaken the Khasi language at any cost. We all understand that language is the core identity of any community,” the KHADC CEM said.
Nongrum also said that there was widespread confusion among the students following the Board’s notification.
“Those responsible for this decision will have to take responsibility if the students fail in their examination,” he said.
Nongrum also said that this attempt to de-popularise the Khasi language also defeats the three basic principles of the Council as enshrined in the Constitution of India which is to preserve, protect and safeguard the indigenous culture and practices including the language.
The KHADC CEM said that the Council was very clear in its stand that it would continue to pressurise the State Government to revoke the MBOSE notification.
“We are prepared to go to any extent to achieve our demand,” Nongrum added.
Meanwhile, Principal of St. Edmund’s College Dr Sylvanus Lamare said that he failed to understand why the Government and the Board was adamant on the demand to retain MIL (Khasi language) as a compulsory subject along with English.
“I am not convinced with the claim of the State Government that the decision was taken in the overall interest of the career of the students,” Dr Lamare said.
He said that English or the Khasi language was not taken into account during the allotment of seats for MBBS or Engineering courses.
“Therefore this decision to make MIL as elective subject will help to improve the performance of the students in any way,” he said.
He further said that if the Government was keen on having only one compulsory subject than English can be declared as an elective subject while retaining MIL as a compulsory subject.
“This is best way to preserve and promote our own local language,” Dr Lamare said.
He further observed that the MBOSE had been able to take such a decision was because of the absence of an Education Policy in the State.
“The Board would not have been able to take this decision had the Education Policy been there,” Dr Lamare said.
Deliberating on the topic, HoD, Khasi, NEHU, Streamlet Dkhar said that the MIL has been there right from the beginning and has neither proved be a drawback nor has caused any harm to anyone.
“The government decision to make MIL an elective subject is not understandable,” she said adding that public consultation should have been undertaken before arriving at such a major decision.
Meanwhile, MBOSE Deputy Director MacDonald Marbaniang defended the decision saying, “We have taken this decision in the best interest of the student community. Students now have the liberty to choose subject combinations as per their own choice since now there is only one compulsory subject.”
He also said that this was not a sudden decision since the Board had been planning this move since 2009.
“After holding consultations with the various traditional heads since 2009, the Board finally came up with the notification to make MIL as an elective subject,” Marbaniang said.
He said that even when MIL was a compulsory subject, students had the option of choosing from up to eight languages apart from Khasi under the MIL subject which includes Alternative English, Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, Mizo, Urdu and Garo.
He further added that it would be wrong to claim that the Board was discriminating against Khasi language since inclusion of MIL in the list of elective subjects is practiced in several other Boards, namely, CBSE, ICSE and State Education Boards of Jharkhand, Punjab and Mizoram.