Shillong, April 11: The Khasi Authors Society (KAS) has urged the state government to convene a special Assembly session this month to recognise Khasi as an official language of Meghalaya.
KAS President, Dr. D.R.L. Nonglait, made the demand while addressing a public meeting in Jowai on Saturday, seeking support from the public. He stated that the exclusion of the Khasi language from the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution remains a major hurdle preventing Khasi youth from successfully clearing higher-level competitive examinations such as IAS, IPS, and IFS.
Explaining the demand for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule, Dr. Nonglait said several states in India use their regional languages as official languages in administration, education, and governance. However, he pointed out that the Meghalaya government has yet to fully adopt Khasi as an official language.
He also refuted claims that declining success among youth in competitive exams is due to lack of preparation, asserting instead that candidates from 22 recognised languages in India can write UPSC exams in their own languages.
Citing Manipur as an example, he said students there benefit from using their native language in official and academic contexts, enabling them to perform better in competitive examinations, while Khasi youth continue to face disadvantages.
Dr. Nonglait recalled KAS movements in 2003–2004, following which Khasi was granted the status of an associate official language in 2005. However, he noted that the language has not received due importance as it remains only an associate language.
He further mentioned the organisation’s renewed agitation in 2025, including meetings with the Chief Minister and submission of memorandums to all 35 Khasi MLAs, expecting the issue to be raised in the recent winter Assembly session. However, no discussion took place.
“In this phase, KAS has decided to reach out to the public to create awareness and seek support for its demand,” he added.
