BY THE EDITOR
The Khasi language was declared as the state’s associate language way back in 2005 while the state Assembly passed a resolution in 2018 for its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution, forwarding it to the central government for necessary action in this regard. However, there has been no visible movement on the part of the Centre to accord due recognition to the language till now although it is said to be eligible for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule. The Khasi language is among the 38 for which the demand has been raised. It is against such a backdrop that the Khasi Authors Society (KAS) staged a protest in New Delhi on Saturday demanding that the Centre include the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India. The KAS programme in the national capital was a step in the right direction to ensure that pressure is maintained till the central government sees reason and fulfills the long pending aspiration of the people of the state.
The position of the Union Home ministry on demands for inclusion of languages in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution is, “As the evolution of dialects and languages is dynamic, influenced by socio-cultural, economic and political developments, it is difficult to fix any criterion for languages, whether to distinguish them from dialects, or for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution… The Government of India is conscious of the sentiments and requirements for inclusion of other languages in the Eighth Schedule and will examine the requests keeping in mind these sentiments, and other considerations such as evolution of dialects into language, widespread use of a language etc.” Fair enough, but by the Centre’s own admission, “sentiments” do matter, and to that extent alone the sentiment for according the status to the Khasi language is strong enough for consideration.
On its part, the KAS had done its homework before setting out for Delhi and strongly believes that the Khasi language fits the bill. Among other things, the language is well developed with its own alphabet and is studied in schools, colleges and universities and there are, and have been, many scholars and writers who are known even beyond the borders of Meghalaya. Besides, Khasi is the only Austro-Asiatic language from the North East while the Khasi community follows a very unique social system, i.e., the matrilineal system; it is very rare in India. Its language, culture and literature need to be preserved, encouraged and recognised by inclusion in the Eighth Schedule. Moreover, according to KAS, there are even less developed tribal languages that have been included so why not the Khasi language. As for the widespread use of the language, it is spoken by nearly 1.5 million people in Meghalaya (according to the 2011 census), and is spoken elsewhere, like Assam and Bangladesh. There is, therefore, little reason for the Centre to not include the language in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution.