The Jaintia National Council (JNC) has added its voice to the opprobrium over the lack of inclusion of the Pnar language in the Meghalaya state anthem, which was released yesterday.
The song comprises the Garo, English and the standard Khasi dialect but not Pnar. Other pressure groups and individuals had already expressed disappointment at the perceived snub to the Pnar language.
The JNC said that the current state government looks down on and has suppressed the rights of the Jaintia people, which is unacceptable.
The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) had, in 2021, passed a resolution to recognise a slightly different alphabet for Pnar than is used in Khasi but, the JNC said, the state government has not respected this move.
The group also demanded that the seven MLAs from the Jaintia Hills as well as the 30 MDCs should not remain mere spectators to the issue.
