While the central government has given no concrete reasons as to why the Khasi and Garo languages have still not been included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution, it continues to contradict itself in its claim to promote languages.
Voice of People Party (VPP) spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh made this observation and said, there is no hindrance or weakness in the Khasi and Garo languages, but “politics of the Indian government.”
“On one hand you (centre) laid stressed in the National Education Policy that the regional languages and the mother tongue should be promoted. On the other hand it does not want to recognise languages that fulfill the criteria. This is nothing but contradictory claims,” Myrboh said.
He cited Mizoram and said the people seldom speaks other languages except for their mother tongue but still has not been recognised. “It is surprising of the kind of politics that the government is playing,” he added.
Stating that constant pressure from the state government is also crucial if the demand is to see the light of day, he further said that the state government has to go to Delhi with a strong justification on why the Khasi-Garo languages need to be recognised.
“There is no harm for the state to pass another resolution and to debate again on this matter,” he suggested.
Myrboh further said that the various festivals organised in the state is just to divert the minds of the people from real issues. “These festivals are just like opium for the people to forget their sufferings in the short term and it is part of their politics of diversion and to cover up their failures,” he stated.
