SHILLONG, Nov 16: After several attempts from different fronts, the Meghalaya Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh has now taken it upon him to pursue the long-pending demand for inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution of India.
The Speaker’s assurance came at a gathering of authors and intellectuals during an event in Synod College here to commemorate the 111th death anniversary of Rabon Sing Kharsuka, a well-known writer of the 19th century who contributed towards Khasi literature shaping it into what it presently is.
This demand has been pending for a prolonged duration in spite of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly passing a resolution for inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
According to Metbah Lyngdoh, the matter has been discussed on different platforms and the state government has time and again taken up the matter with the Union government. “It is time for the Union government to recognise our Khasi language,” he said.
Recalling Rabon Sing Kharsuka, the Speaker said that the former, during his days, was suppressed by the British government when it came to publishing his write-up, Sing, however, never gave up on his goal.
In his address as the chief guest of the programme, the Assembly Speaker said that writing in the past was a challenge since there was very little assistance for writers unlike today, when assistance is abundant with the help of internet and other technologies.
He said that the wisdom and contribution of Rabon Sing Kharsuka were even acknowledged by intellectuals after him such as U Soso Tham and others. “If it were not for them, I don’t know what would have happened to our Khasi language today,” the Speaker remarked.
The day — November 16 — is commemorated annually as the death anniversary of Rabon Sing Kharsuka, who is also known as the father of Khasi intellect or ‘U Kpa ka Pyrkhat Khasi’, the first among the Khasis who wrote the first article on a newspaper Nongkit Khubor in January 1883.
The event was also attended by Rajya Sabha member, Dr. WR Kharlukhi, writers, teachers and the great-grandchildren of Rabon Sing Kharsuka.
A panel discussion was also held in the event on the topic ‘Halor u synniang jong U Pahep Rabon Sing Kharsuka’ (contribution of Rabon Sing Kharsuka).