State govt constitutes Khasi committee

SHILLONG, DEC 2: The Meghalaya government notified the committee constituted exclusively to speed up the process of getting the ‘Khasi-language’ included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The committee will be headed by deputy chief minister RC Laloo and will have 15 members.

The committee was constituted through the state arts and culture department. The department’s director Matsiewdor War, who is the convener of the committee said, “The 15-member-committee constituted by the government through the State Arts and Culture Department was notified on Monday.”

Beside Laloo and War, the other members of the committee have drawn from the ruling and opposition bench that includes – Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, Mawsynram MLA Pynshngainlang Syiem, UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh and HSPSP legislator Witting Mawsor.

The other members of this committee are Dr Sylvanus Lamare from the Sahitya Academy, Dr DRL Nonglait, a representative of the Khasi Authors’ Society (KAS), Head of Department (Khasi) of NEHU Dr Streamlet Dkhar, secretary law department and principal secretary of arts and culture department.

Chief minister Mukul Sangma had assured the assembly recently that the government will constitute a committee for taking forward the need to include Khasi language in the Eight Schedule.

Sangma had also assured that when the process is completed the same members will be given the responsibility to engage with the union government for exerting pressure for inclusion of the Khasi Language.

Now the onus of calling the meeting rest on the chairman who is heading the committee.- By Our Reporter