The Khasi Authors’ Society (KAS) along with the Khasi Department of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) met Rajya Sabha MP WR Kharlukhi to facilitate the process of the inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
The official recognition of the Khasi language has been pending for decades, even as both the Khasi and Garo languages have been the state official languages.
Kharlukhi stated that there is a need for rigorous strategies to impress upon the Union Ministry of Home Affairs the genuine demand for recognition of Khasi in the Eighth Schedule. Moreover, he said, proper lobbying is also required at the Department of Official Languages and other relevant authorities to expedite the process.
The MP stated that, in the forthcoming session of Parliament, he will bring up the issue during the zero hour notice. He further informed that both the issue of the Inner Line Permit and Eighth Schedule will be taken up in the session for discussion.
The KAS is of the opinion that Khasi has fulfilled and even surpassed the required criteria for recognition under the Eighth Schedule. Yet, the response from the Ministry of Home Affairs in recent correspondence has not been forthcoming.
