Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has announced that the State government will formally launch an ambitious research programme in May to undertake DNA mapping, linguistic analysis and cultural studies of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities of the State.
The initiative is a significant push to scientifically document the origins and heritage of indigenous communities, marking one of the most comprehensive efforts yet to establish an evidence-based narrative of tribal history in the State.
The Chief Minister said the initiative is backed by two dedicated committees and follows preliminary groundwork that has already been undertaken.
Sangma said a productive meeting was held with the Arts and Culture Department and research groups to deliberate on the project proposal focusing on the historical, cultural, linguistic and migratory origins of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes of Meghalaya.
“The teams are conducting extensive research to map the ancestry and origin of our tribal communities,” he said, expressing confidence in the outcomes of the project while extending support to the initiative.
“The meeting examined the comprehensive proposal with the Department of Arts and Culture, along with research groups representing the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities, to undertake a structured and multidisciplinary study of their history, culture, and origins,” he said.