The Meghalaya Assembly Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to bring forward an official Bill to include the Khasi and Garo languages spoken by the dominant tribes in the state in the Eight schedule of the Constitution.
The two languages are understood, spoken and used by over 23 lakh Khasi and Garo tribals and both languages are recognised as the associate official languages in the state.
"This House unanimously resolved to urge upon the Government of India to initiate necessary measures, as early as possible to bring forward the Official Bill to amend the Eight Schedule of the Indian Constitution to include the Khasi and Garo languages," Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said in the resolution.
Although the resolution was passed in September earlier this year, but for certain corrections which were required to be made before it is officially sent to the Centre.
The Assembly unanimously voted in favour of the resolution when Speaker Donkupar Roy put the resolution to vote.
Backing the claim to be included in the Schedule of Languages, the resolution said that the two languages have rich and unique traditions which are different from other languages in the country and were considered second official languages in the state since 2005.
The nearly 14 lakh Khasi speakers and over 9 lakh Garo speakers (according to the Census 2011) are confined to a large continuous geographical zone and it is incumbent upon the Centre to extend recognition as was done to Manipuri, Bodo, Nepali, etc. by amending the Constitution, it said.
The resolution also said that the two languages are also a medium of instruction up to higher secondary and higher education even as Calcutta University had recognised Khasi since 1900, the degree level in 1919 and the scholars in the North Eastern Hill University were permitted to present their thesis and disserting in Khasi for the subject since 1981.
As for the Garo language, the Calcutta University recognised the language at Matriculation level as one of the Modern Indian Languages in 1923 while the Gauhati University recognised Garo as Major Indian Language in 1947 and the NEHU introduced the language in 1996, the resolution added.
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