SHILLONG, January 27: The demand to include the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution has remained pending even after the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly passed a resolution for its recognition in 2018 and the persistent fight by the Khasi Author’s Society (KAS).
Speaking with Padma Shri Awardee and also a researcher in the Khasi language, Prof.Badaplin War said that the languages that are included in the Eighth Schedule are not more adequate than the Khasi language. She stated that the Khasi language had been included from 1919 as one of the subjects in Calcutta University and after that it was also included in Gauhati University and now it has been raised to the Ph.D level as well.
Further, this researcher of language said that if it is to be examined from that aspect as well, there is no regulation that can state that the Khasi language is not adequate yet to be included in the Eighth Schedule and if it is to examined from the number of people speaking the language too it is adequate and now the only hope remains that it shall be a reality one day.
Prof.Badaplin War said that every time she meets with government high officials, and even at the time when the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah visited the state, he had said that due consideration will be given to the demand to include the Khasi language into the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
She said that the inclusion of any language into the Eighth Schedule requires an act of the Parliament, and expressed that till now the Bill on it has never been raised yet in the Parliament, and as of now it cannot be certain if the demand will be fulfilled or not.
Prof.War further said that in the past, there had had not been much of a move for the inclusion of other langauges in the Eighth Schedule but now many states are fighting for their languages to be recognised as well, and at the same time she said that the call now falls on the MPs to give full support to it in the Parliament.
