SHILLONG, July 11: The Khasi language is one of the oldest languages in India because the Khasis have been in existence since 57,000 years ago. This was stated by Disparsing Rani, a well known RTI activist in the State while speaking to media persons.
As per the statement of Rani, he informed that in 2007, Spencer Wells who is the Director of the Geographic Society of India helped to find the origin of the Khasi language, through a research he conducted with 92 participants and as per his research findings, the Khasi language comes under the Astro-Asiatic languages, one of the oldest languages in India because the Khasis have been here for 57,000 years.
He further stated that the Khasi language is one of the oldest languages and it is one of the oldest languages in India, it is a well known in the North Eastern region and has been included as a subject in Kolkata University from the 1900s.
He informed that the Khasi Himas as per the records of Hima Madur Maskut also have been written about in the Mahabharata, and it was found that the Khasi knew how to smelt iron from 2000 years ago.
With regard to the RTI filed to find out the stage at which the process to recognise the Khasi language has reached after having been approved by the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on the 4th of December,2018, Rani informed that when he filed the RTI with the State Government, it revealed that the process is ongoing, however when the same information was sought from the Government of India, the report stated that the Khasi language is in the administrative stage or the last stage before being presented in the Parliament.
Rani said that it is indeed pleasant to know that the recognised process is in the final stage and is hopeful of being included in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution of India.
