SHILLONG, Jan 30: Associate Professor of Khasi department, NEHU, Prof Badaplin War on Sunday said support of the Member of Parliament (MPs) is essential for the inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.
“There is a need to try to lobby and get the support of the maximum number of MPs for our cause. We need to realise that it is a political decision of the Centre,” Prof War, who is also the treasurer of the Khasi Authors’ Society, said.
Many are fighting for the inclusion of their respective languages in the Eight Schedule and the Centre has to consider all the requests, she said.
“But it is a fact that the Centre has never tabled a bill in the Parliament to include the Khasi language in the Eight Schedule. We really don’t know whether it will happen or not,” she said.
The KAS treasurer said the Khasi language is at par or even better than some of the languages which have earned national recognition.
“The Khasi language has a long history and it was introduced as one of the subjects in Calcutta University way back in 1819. The subject is being learnt upto the PhD level after NEHU came into existence. I personally there is a way to get our language recognised under the Eight Schedule,” the Padma Shri awardee said, adding that the state government should strategise on how to pursue this matter with the Centre.
A senior government official recently said that the state government has sent all relevant documents and materials sought by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs relating to the two languages and the Centre will examine all the demands together.
The official had said that the Khasi Authors’ Society and A’chik Traditional Society will have to furnish their documents and volume of work to strengthen the case in favour of the two languages.
