Guwahati: The Khasi Authors’ Society (KAS) held a meeting with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and has urged him to make Khasi the official language of Meghalaya.
Presently, English is the official language of the state and Khasi and Garo are associate official languages under the Meghalaya Language Act, 2005.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, KAS President, DRL Nonglait said, “We have suggested the government to make Khasi an official language of Meghalaya because to date Khasi is an associate official language.”
He also added “How can our mother tongue be an associate language? We have requested the Chief Minister to make amendments to Meghalaya Language Act, 2005.”
Nonglait also said that Garo can also be another official language because there is no harm in having two official languages.
The KAS President mentioned that the CM has asked the concerned department to look into the details of the Acts and provisions made under the Constitution and report back to him.
The KAS has requested Sangma to write a follow-up letter to the Union Home Minister urging him to introduce a bill in the next session of the Parliament for the inclusion of Khasi in the Eighth Schedule.