By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 28: United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate for the Shillong Parliamentary by-election, Vivanstone G Kharngapkynta, on Thursday advocated for the introduction of the Khasi language in courts to ensure better access to justice for rural litigants.
In his first interview since being named the UDP nominee, Kharngapkynta, a senior lawyer at the Meghalaya High Court, stated that many people from rural areas face significant difficulties understanding and communicating in English during judicial proceedings.
He noted that while the state government recently included Khasi and Garo under the Meghalaya State Language Act through an ordinance, there is a need for practical implementation in the judiciary. He pointed out that the ordinance, valid for six months, requires the government to table an amendment Bill in the Assembly for regularisation. “Litigants from rural areas often cannot understand English. Even when they communicate in Khasi, their statements have to be translated, and many fail to fully comprehend what is recorded or asked of them in court,” Kharngapkynta said.
He also backed the Khasi Authors’ Society’s (KAS) long-standing demand to include Khasi in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution to ensure its preservation and promotion.
Addressing his move to the UDP, Kharngapkynta said the party’s regional outlook offers the best platform to protect the interests of Meghalaya’s indigenous people. He clarified that his previous associations with other parties, including the BJP, were not for electoral purposes but aimed at public welfare.
“My association with other political parties was only with the intention of helping the people. It was never about electoral politics,” he said, noting that this is his first direct contest.
Kharngapkynta described the UDP as a consolidation of regional aspirations, tracing its roots to movements like the All Party Hill Leaders’ Conference.
If elected, he said his priorities in Parliament would include the interstate border dispute, the inclusion of Khasi and Garo in the Eighth Schedule, the protection of indigenous rights, and the strengthening of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) under the Sixth Schedule.
“The autonomy provided under the Constitution for the tribal areas of Meghalaya must be preserved and strengthened, and not allowed to be eroded by vested interests,” he added.
