MEGHALAYA:
Legislators of the Voice of the People Party (VPP) staged a walkout on the first day of the Budget Session in Shillong on Monday, in protest against Governor Phagu Chauhan for addressing the House in Hindi.
As soon as the governor started addressing the House in Hindi, VPP president and Nongkrem MLA Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit stood up and said that Meghalaya is not a Hindi-speaking state.
In his continuous tirade against the governor, Basaiawmoit said that Meghalaya parted ways with Assam after the Assamese language was imposed on indigenous tribes.
He further stated that the government of India did not pay any heed to the demand of the state for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the 8th Schedule, thereby depriving the state in various ways. “This is the design of the government of India to impose the Hindi language on all of us,” he said
“I want to appeal to you to address us in a language we understand. We will start shouting slogans if he continues to address in Hindi,” Basaiawmoit added.
“The speaker should address the House in the language we understand because to allow this tradition to continue in the house is to go against the sentiments of the people of Meghalaya,” he added.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma immediately intervened and said, “This is not the behaviour one expected from an elected member when the Governor is addressing the House.”
The Chief Minister reasoned that when the written version of the governor’s speech in the English language has already been circulated to all the members of the house, there is no stopping the governor from addressing in a language he is comfortable in.
“He (Governor) is not doing this because he wants to but because he has limitations in addressing in the English language,” the CM said.
The dissatisfied and disgruntled MLAs of VPP walked out of the house in the middle of the governor’s address.