Shillong, June 4: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said that several organizations and groups from Meghalaya were given the opportunity to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah following the 73rd Plenary Meeting of the North Eastern Council (NEC) held in Shillong on Thursday.
The Chief Minister informed that representatives of the Khasi Authors’ Society, led by its President Dr. Nonseng Nongkynrih, submitted a memorandum to Amit Shah seeking the inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
According to Conrad Sangma, Amit Shah stated that the Central Government has received more than 100 similar requests from different parts of the country for the inclusion of various languages in the Eighth Schedule. To address these demands, the Centre is planning to constitute a committee that will examine all such proposals. He added that both Khasi and Garo languages are among those that will be considered by the proposed committee.
The Chief Minister further said that although representatives from the Garo community were unable to meet Amit Shah personally due to time constraints, a memorandum seeking the inclusion of the Garo language in the Eighth Schedule was submitted on their behalf by a senior member of the community.
Conrad Sangma also informed that a delegation from the North East India Christian Council (NEICC), comprising representatives from different churches, met the Union Home Minister and expressed concerns regarding proposed amendments to the Forest Conservation Act (FCA).
According to the Chief Minister, Amit Shah responded positively and requested the delegation to prepare a detailed memorandum explaining their concerns clause by clause. He also invited them to visit Delhi at the earliest opportunity for a detailed discussion on the matter.
The Union Home Minister further requested the Meghalaya Government to facilitate a meeting in Delhi so that the groups could present their suggestions and concerns regarding the proposed amendments directly before the concerned authorities.
Conrad Sangma said Amit Shah’s response was encouraging and provided hope to the organizations and groups that had raised these important issues.
He also welcomed the efforts of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) and other civil society bodies for proactively presenting the concerns and aspirations of the people of Meghalaya before the Union Home Minister.
Besides these, several other NGOs and civil society organizations also met Amit Shah and submitted various demands and concerns relating to Meghalaya, reflecting the active engagement of community groups in issues affecting the state’s future development, culture and identity.
