SHILLONG:
UDP leader and cabinet minister Paul Lyngdoh on Monday said there is nothing wrong if the Meghalaya Governor delivers his address in Hindi during the upcoming budget session of the State Assembly.
“I see nothing wrong if the Governor delivers his address in Hindi and at the same time, his address is available or the text of his speech is being supplied in English. This is nothing new. If you have seen in parliament, languages under the Eighth Schedule are being spoken and you can listen in a language you understand. The speaker will speak the language he is fluent in and the listener will listen in the language he understands,” he told reporters.
Lyngdoh also asserted that the two associate official languages of the state – Khasi and Garo – should also be translated.
“I encourage that not only English but… the two associate official languages of the state should also be translated in those languages. We are living in a world where you can engage artificial intelligence; you can speak any language and still get an immediate interpretation of the language you know. So I don’t see any issue,” he said.
The MDA spokesperson however said if the Governor talks only in Hindi without translation, it’s a different issue altogether.
Recently, the opposition VPP in its letter to the Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma, has threatened not to take part in the Governor’s Address if it is being delivered in Hindi without an English translator.