SHILLONG: It was a feast of languages, to describe it in the words of William Shakespeare, inside the Assembly on the second day of the Budget session on Monday that was mottled with humour, sarcasm and pithiness.
With Governor Ganga Prasad becoming the trendsetter by using his mother tongue, Hindi, in the Assembly, three legislators used local languages while delivering speeches in the House.
While Congress legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) MLA Adelbert Nongrum spoke in Khasi, Nationalist Congress Party’s Saleng Sangma spoke a few lines in Garo.
Lyngdoh, the first speaker in the House to use a local language, was “happy” to get the opportunity to speak in Khasi. She spoke for over 40 minutes while participating in the debate on the governor’s address on Friday.
Then KHNAM’s Nongrum, who was the first to voice his protest on Friday by announcing that he would speak in Khasi, rose to participate in the debate. After speaking a few lines in English, he switched to Khasi.
“I don’t have any objection but it is really upsetting. It disappoints me that it happened the very first time since the predecessors use English as an official language… This maybe a hidden agenda, the governor may know better and his superiors,” he said, while referring to the governor’s speech.
Nongrum’s Khasi speech was, however, peppered with English words, some of which he translated into Khasi.
Some of the English words he used were clarification, central government, suggest, attempt, issue, test, quality, healthy, promoters, frustrated, average census, suppress, traditional practices, legislators, high-time and state.
Taking cue from the Khasi speakers, Sangma sought the speaker’s permission to use Garo while he would also translate into English. Roy granted him permission as it was only a few lines.
After speaking a few lines in Garo, Sangma said, “I don’t want to say any further. It is like having a competition in the House.”
He added that there is entry of foreign entity to disrupt the peace and tranquility which is disintegrating the unity of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo.
“Just because he (the governor) does not speak English does not mean that we will have to follow in his footsteps. Brotherhood seems to be getting away from each other which will not be a good thing… Sad to see we have differences already, the disease has spread which is not good,” Sangma tried to pacify the
raging debate on languages.
Congress legislator Charles Pyngrope, who spoke in English, said, “As per information only two translators were appointed. We have translators for Khasi and Garo so that they can be employed to have the Intercom system whereby the legislators can hear the translated version of the speech delivered by the members.”
In reply, Roy said, “We have discussed the issue. Perhaps we will have translators in the next session.”
HSPDP MLA Renikton Tongkhar said it is better to communicate in English which is understood by everyone even as he called upon the members to respect each other.
In his broken English, Tongkhar praised Lyngdoh for being articulate in the language and expressed his wish to take lessons from her. He said it would be a loss if she continued to speak in Khasi.
Pyngrope said as per the Rules of conduct in the House, there is every provision that enables the members and the governor to address in respective mother tongues. “It should not be construed that some members are against such decision,” he added.
He recalled that there was meeting of the Rules Committee that will allow members to speak in the language they are comfortable with.
“There was paucity of members who could not articulate their feelings as they were not proficient in English language,” Pyngrope said.
The discussion on the governor’s address was inconclusive as members can participate again on April 5.