SHILLONG: The state government will constitute an Advisory Committee to speed up the process for inclusion of Khasi Language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.
The assurance came from Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday after a delegation of the Khasi Authors’ Society (KAS) met him to seek his intervention into the two-point demands which also include making Khasi compulsory in higher secondary schools.
KAS president, DRL Nonglait told reporters that the proposed committee will also include representatives from the Society and different communities of the state.
“But what is more important is that the government should have a political will, without which the aspiration of the people cannot be fulfilled,” Nonglait said.
The Society in its memorandum submitted to the chief minister urged the government to move to the Prime Minister, home minister and Members of Parliament to include Khasi in the 8th Schedule.
He said that out of a total population of 29,66,889 in the state, the population in six districts of Khasi -Jaintia Hills is 16,42,435 and almost cent per cent of the schedule tribe population in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region are Khasi speakers.
“The estimated total number of Khasi speakers inside and outside the state is more than 20 lakh,” he added.
Meanwhile, KAS also demanded the government to quash the September 5, 2013 – notification of the MBOSE making Khasi (MIL) an optional subject in classes XI and XII in the Arts, Science and Commerce streams.
“The government should quash the notification and revert to the previous system by making Khasi a compulsory subject in classes XI and XII of Arts, Science and Commerce streams,” Nonglait suggested.
