Inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution will be his top priority in Parliament, NPP candidate and Khasi Authors Society (KAS) president Dr DRL Nonglait said on Monday at his first campaign meeting for the Shillong Lok Sabha by-election in Nongshillong, Eastern West Khasi Hills. “We (KAS) are for inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India,” Nonglait said, addressing the gathering.
“The Khasi Authors Society is a society that works hard, works with body and soul. We have members from different parties in this society. I thank them all because we have worked hard to uplift our language and literature without any bias.” Nonglait, who has led KAS for 14 years, said securing official language status for Khasi in Meghalaya was a milestone but not the final goal.
“We have now been able to make Khasi an official language of Meghalaya,” he said. Recalling the statehood movement, he added, “The movement to get a Hill State began in 1960 when the Assam government tried to impose Assamese in all districts under Assam, including the united Khasi-Jaintia Hills district. But after getting statehood, we forgot our language. Now we are able to use our own language. Now we can write letters to the DC office in Khasi, whether the DC is a non-tribal or Khasi.”