Shillong, April 28: The Khasi Authors’ Society (KAS) has welcomed the assent granted by Meghalaya Governor C. H. Vijayashankar to the Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance on April 27, formally recognising Khasi and Garo as official languages of the state.

Speaking to the media, KAS President Dr. D. R. L. Nonglait said the move by the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government led by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma fulfils a long-standing demand of the people, persisting for over 54 years since Meghalaya attained statehood.

He described the recognition of Khasi as a historic milestone, while cautioning that it must go beyond symbolic value. “It must be implemented in a practical manner—in official documents, communication, and governance processes,” Nonglait emphasised.

The KAS also urged the government to involve the Society in framing rules for implementing the Ordinance. It maintained that its pool of scholars and writers can provide valuable inputs on the effective use of Khasi across government departments, including in official correspondence, notifications, orders, and administrative communication.

On the education front, Nonglait noted that Khasi is currently taught and examined only up to Class V. The Society has proposed extending it to Class VIII initially, with a long-term goal of introducing it at the secondary and higher secondary levels.

He further informed that the KAS is in the final stages of preparing a Khasi-English dictionary with support from the Department of Arts and Culture. The dictionary is presently under final editing, and the Society aims to release it within the year.

KAS emphasised that once published, the government should officially recognise the dictionary for use in schools and colleges to ensure uniformity and standardisation in the writing and usage of the Khasi language.