Meghalaya: HANM urges government to include Khasi and Garo as second language in CBSE exam

The Hynniewtrep Achik National Movement (HANM) urged the Meghalaya state government to take steps to include Khasi and Garo subjects as a second language in the CBSE examination. 

HANM chief Lamphang Kharbani informed that a Memorandum has been submitted to the chief secretary of the government of Meghalaya. 

Kharbani informed that the HANM has apprised the Chief Secretary of the non-inclusion of the Khasi language in the Central Board of School Education (CBSE). “We met the Chief Secretary after we learned that the Khasi language was used as a second language in the Indian Certificate Secondary Education (ICSC) and Indian School Certificate (ISC) but the Central Board of School Education (CBSE) did not include Khasi language in the examination”. 

Kharbani said that the HANM in a meeting with CS had urged the state government to take up the issue with the government of India Ministry of Education to take up with the chairman of the Central Board of School Education (CBSE) to include Khasi and Garo languages as a second language for students who study in schools who follow CBSE pattern. 

"The inclusion of Khasi and Garo language in ICSC and ISC will benefit the Khasi and Garo Community who appears CBSE examination and this will also boost the demand for recognition of these languages in the eighth schedules of the constitution," said Kharbani. 

Kharbani said that during the meeting with CS, the organization had also urged to take up the issue with the state government and the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) to make Khasi and Garo language as compulsory subjects for all thus students who have to take Schedule Tribes (ST) certificate as proof that they belong to Khasi and Garo community.

He added that recently in the concluded autumn session, it was seen that both the chief minister and MLA spoke in Garo and Khasi languages in the assembly hence it is high time for these languages to be used in schools, recruitment examinations and interviews for recruitment in various departments of the state government.

"The inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in ICSC, ISC and CBSE as a second language and the practice of using these languages for recruitment exams and interviews will boost the demand for inclusion of Khasi and Garo in the eight schedules of the constitution" he added. 

On the other hand, the HANM urged Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) to use the Khasi language in every spoken and written form during its session in the future.