Shillong,Nov 9: The Achik Youth Welfare Organisation (AYWO) has asked the state government to take necessary steps to ensure Garo language is included in the Eight Schedule to the Constitution of India.

In a memorandum submitted to the chief minister Conrad K Sangma, AYWO general secretary Sengbath Chambugong said, “…we the Garo People as a whole vociferously demand that the work towards the realization of Resolution (passed by the government in the Assembly) be expedited and make sure that the day will come when Garo Language is included in Eight Schedule along with the 23 existing languages of Eight Schedule.”

Stating that inclusion of Garo language will definitely be a boon to the people of Garo Hills, Sengbath said it will be a dream come true to the Garo people as it will open up avenues for literary scholars, writers, poets and even the Civil Service aspirants since the inclusion of one language will paved a way for cultural incentives, employment opportunity, monetary and pedagogic benefits, membership of Official Language Commission, benefits in Parliament such as translation.

Informing that the Garo speaking population is around 20,00,000 in India, he said that more than 1,00,000 are in Bangladesh.

In Kamrup and Goalpara district of Assam bordering Garo Hills region and in partial pockets of Dispur District, total Garo speaking population is 4,00,000 (approx). There are about 80,000 (approx) Garos in Khasi Hills too, he said.

According to him, taking into account all these contiguous areas in parts of West Bengal, Assam, Bangladesh and certain pockets of Khasi Hills where there is concentration of Garo speaking populace, total approximate population will not be less than 20,00,000.

“So therefore, the Garo/A’chik language is a ‘Regional Language’ in a well defined areas and belongs to particular language group and had a sizeable number of speakers in the entire NE and even Bangladesh,” Sengbath stated.