By Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh
December 18, 2025, marks the 85th Death Anniversary of Babu Soso Tham and to pay homage to the bard of Hynniewtrep land and poet laureate, I wish to pen down on the subject above.
Babu Soso Tham and his Students: Babu Soso Tham began his writing career together with his students of Government High School, Shillong then. In his book, Ki Poetry Khasi, (which later became Duitara Ksiar or Golden Duitara), the first English poem which he translated together with the class X students inside the class room was “Drive the Nail Aright.” In typical Soso Tham style, he challenged the entire class to writing poetry and confessed that he knew nothing about the art, foot, rhyme and rhythm of poetry. He further explained through the powerful analogy of dry/dead bones of dead cows strewn on the hill tops and slopes, as no one ever taught him to fertilize the paddy field of Khasi Language. Amid laughter the entire class came to life and every student contributed to his book of Khasi Poems.
S. J Duncan who was one of his students, wrote during the celebration of Soso Tham’s 25th Death Anniversary organised by the Khasi Students’ Association in 1965, “I vividly remember that between the year 1913-14, I witnessed first hand that Babu Soso Tham was anxious to let go of something. That his heart was restless and waiting with bated breath on the opportune moment to share with students and the entire community of what he had conceived or processed in his thoughts for so long. Therefore, I now confessed that what I witnessed had come to fruition and that what Babu Soso had collected bit by bit and filled himself with knowledge, today it turned out to be goldmines of Khasi literature and it will certainly uplift the standard of Khasi writings and language.”
Another renowned Khasi poet, Oscar M Wahlang, who had also translated into English, Soso Tham’s epic poetry, Ki Sngi Barim u Hynniewtrep or Olden Days of Hynniewtrep, wrote about Soso Tham and his golden era (U SOSO THAM HA KA AIOM KSIAR), between 1955-56, “Soso Tham’s greatness lies in his translation works and he was the master translator…Behind his epic poetry, “Ki Sngi Barim u Hynniewtrep,” was Soso Tham; but who was Soso Tham and the knowledge about his persona was scantily written. His contemporaries will never reveal the true Soso Tham. Irrespective of what was told or written about him, his works clearly pointed out that there existed the young Byron in Khasi Hills. Ki Sngi Barim U Hynniewtrep was his intoxication as he himself confessed of not knowing the art of writing poetry, until this lack of knowledge compelled him to commune with Suna Pani (a water falls located near Lower Mawprem and can be seen from Mawlai) which would eventually breathe into him songs and poetry… Certainly Soso Tham had vomited the books which the Khasis had devoured in ancient times and put them back into written words…”
The Evolution of Khasi Language: Without delving into historical details and the role of Christian Missions and Khasi renaissance in the development of Khasi Language, there are two major components of Khasi Language, namely, the spoken and written forms. Moreover, there are also branches of Khasi Language or dialects or ki ‘tien shnong, spoken in a village or cluster of villagers or thain across the Hynniewtrep region. According to R. S Lyngdoh, “In olden times the Khasis were not familiar with the modern concept of written language, but they had the wisdom to store their knowledge in the green leaves of nature that surrounded them. The present generation may have developed the language and published numerous books, but they will not be able to attain wisdom if they forget what was written on the leaves. This made Soso Tham consider the entire ecology/environment as the library or encyclopaedia of knowledge for the Khasi people”. G. A Grierson was the first linguist to study about the branches of Khasi Language and he found only three branches, viz, Lyngngam, Synteng and War. Today local and indigenous linguists with profound knowledge on the subject are able to collect and document on many branches within the larger Khasi Language. Recently, Esther Syiem had collected and documented about several branches and these are, Nongtalang, Darrang, Umladang, Ïapngar, Nongbri, Mnar, Nongkrem, Khat-ar Blang, Nongskhen, Umñiuh Tmar, Shella, Mawsynram, Phlangwanbroi, Warding bad Mawpen while Badaplin War conducted a detailed study and analysis on these Khasi dialect like Mawlai, Jowai, Nongbri, Nongwar and Pariong.
Similarly, Dorismelincy Byrsat published her most fascinating study on the variation between the standard Khasi Language and Nongstoin dialect. She noted the sudden rise of research or analytical study and documentation on the various branches or dialects spoken across the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. However, the publication of the same for public reading and promotion of usage of Khasi Language and its variations is yet to get accelerated.
On the other hand, S. S Majaw opines that it is easier to speak than to write in Khasi. Therefore, the usage of Khasi language must not be enslaved or constricted by grammar and other rules of linguistic studies. They must only act as guiding light for speakers and writers. We must not create a Babel for Khasi Language.
The other contributing factors to the evolution of Khasi language are borrowing and innovation of new Khasi words. Throughout generations, Khasi language has been enriched by words borrowed from other languages and cultures with which the Khasis had come in contact with. At the same time the innovation of new words is crucial for its development.
Bakhiamon Rynjah defended the idea of borrowing as it does not imply that the Khasi Language is either weak or impoverished, rather the borrowed words greatly enhanced the development of Khasi language. In the study of the Khasi Dictionary by U Nissor Singh it is found that out of total 6595 words, 417 are borrowed from Indo-Aryan, 34 from non Indo-Aryan, 32 from English and 2 from Arabic. Whereas in the Dienshonhi by Rev Iarington Kharkongngor, it is found that out of a total of 8033 words, 316 words are borrowed from Indo-Aryan, 56 from non Indo-Aryan, 53 from English, 2 from Arabic and 1 Nepali.
Also, the innovation of new Khasi words must be encouraged and in the photo book by Tarun Bhartiya entitled Em, No, Nahi, which was launched last week, it is found that a new Khasi word was created for Uranium which is “Moraniun.” Dondor Giri Nongkhlaw, who translated the Short Guide to Uranium, which is appended to the photo book, explained that the word Moraniun is the combination of three syllable, Mo, Ra and Ňiun. “Mo” or “Mu” meaning stone in Pnar, “Ra” refers to the decay inside and “Ňiun” is a Khasi word for pervading illness that seeps inside the human body. Thus, “the Khasi translation renders Uranium as Moraniun, “a stone that causes decay and illness from within.”
The Demand for Eighth Schedule: In 1976 (three years before the formation of Khasi Authors’ Society), the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council passed a resolution demanding the inclusion of Khasi Language into the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India. The demand for recognition of Khasi language gained momentum with the visit of the Expert Committee constituted by the Sahitya Academy to look into the development and usage of Khasi Language in 1977 and 1985 respectively. The Expert Committee had submitted its report and findings in 1985.
The voices for recognition of Khasi language are getting louder with the Khasi Authors’ Society demanding the declaration of Khasi as associate official language in the State in 1997. However, the inclusion of Khasi Language in the 8th Schedule needs consideration by Central Government, but to the utter disappointment of the Khasi people, the Government of India has only prepared a standard reply on the matter in the Lok Sabha thus – “There have been demands from time to time for inclusion of Khasi in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. The Central Government had received a proposal in this regard. As the evolution of dialects and languages is a dynamic process, influenced by socio-cultural, economic and political developments, it is difficult to fix any criteria for languages, whether to distinguish them from dialects, or for their inclusion in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution.”
It must be noted that the Government of India had constituted two important Commissions: the Pahwa Committee (1996) and Sitakant Mahapatra Committee (2003). But the Government of India is yet to accept the recommendations of the Sitakant Mahapatra Committee. Is this the reason why Khasi Language has not yet gained official recognition? And if so what are the reservations against granting recognition to Khasi language?
