Shillong, Nov 21: Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma has impressed upon Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan that it will be the greatest gift to the people of the state if the Khasi and Garo languages are included in the Eighth Schedule on the day Meghalaya celebrates its 50th year of statehood next year.
“The people of Meghalaya have been demanding this for several years. I know there are many languages which are also waiting to be included in the Eighth Schedule. I am making this appeal since people would question why I have not raised this issue on this platform,” the Chief Minister said while speaking at a function after the inauguration of the new building of the Central Institute of Hindi, Shillong Centre at Mawdiangdiang, New Shillong Township on Sunday.
Informing that he has raised this issue even with the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister, Conrad said it will be a momentous occasion if this aspiration is fulfilled when the State observes its Golden Jubilee.
Stating that the government needs the support and blessings of the Union Education Minister, the Chief Minister said that the state government is ready to fulfil and meet the various requirements which are mandated for the inclusion of the Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule.
Later while speaking to reporters, Conrad said that the state government had also passed a resolution in the House to urge the Centre to fulfil this long pending demand.
Stating that the Union Education Minister asserted that all languages are important, the chief minister said that Pradhan had also stressed on the promotion of local languages, and that especially the languages of the Northeast should be given special importance.
“Clearly there is a push to ensure that the local languages in the Northeast are given due importance. But the inclusion of a language in the Eighth Schedule is something that is at a different level altogether since there are 40 plus different languages in the list,” the CM said.
Pointing out that the Union Education Minister could possibly not give any specific reply to this particular provision, he however said that at his level, the Education Minister had assured the state government full support to promote the various local languages and give all the support required for technological investment this effort for all languages and not just the Garo and Khasi language.
“Pradhan wanted all the languages of the different tribes in the State to be promoted,” the CM said.
On the suggestion of the Union Education Minister for creation of apps of the local languages, Sangma said that it is not necessarily just apps but what the Union Minister is implying is the use of technology to programme different aspects of language and to create learning tools for different languages.
“We are still printing books. But the entire scenario in the world has changed so much with technological advancement. My request was to make use of more technology in order to get more learning tools to promote the languages of the State of Meghalaya and Northeast as a whole,” the CM added.