SHILLONG, Dec 20 ? Thirty-two years after the creation of the hill State of Meghalaya, the languages spoken by the major tribes in the State, viz, Khasi and Garo, are poised to be recognized as associate official languages along with English language. Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr DD Lapang today introduced the Meghalaya State Language Bill, 2004, in the State Assembly today to fulfil the long-pending wishes of the people of the State to give the rightful status to Khasi and Garo languages.
The Bill once adopted will provide for the usage of Khasi language as the associate official language in district, subdivision and block-level offices of the State Government in the districts of East and West Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and R-Bhoi. Similarly, Garo language will be used in the districts of East, West and South Garo Hills.
However, English will continue to be used in all civil and criminal Courts in the State. Further, all inter-district official communications shall continue to be in the English language. The State Cabinet had earlier this month decided to introduce the Bill during the winter session of the State Assembly which began here on December 16, paving the way for adoption of the two indigenous languages as official languages of the State.
The State Government had constituted a committee headed by the Chief Secretary PJ Bazeley on October 15 last year to study the feasibility of declaring Khasi and Garo languages as associate official languages. The committee met on December 9 and proposed the draft Meghalaya State Language Bill.
The session is being held, for the first time, in the Art and Culture Building at Rilbong, which has been converted temporarily into Assembly. Since the gutting down of the State Assembly building at Police Bazar, the House sessions were held in the State Central Library auditorium. The auditorium was released for public use in October this year following criticism that the State capital had been deprived of the only public hall.