The lone Congress legislator from Garo Hills, Saleng A Sangma, MLA from the Gambegre constituency said there shouldn’t be any problem for the Centre to give its nod for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo in the 8th schedule.
Speaking to Meghalaya News 24, Sangma said it is the duty of the state Government to pursue the matter as once passed in the Assembly the language bill has become a public bill and therefore, No Khasi Literature Society is needed, No Garo Literature Society is required to pursue the matter.
“When the resolution was taken on the floor of the house, it’s the duty of the state government to pursue the matter. Now if the cabinet and the chief Minister is not concerned and serious about it all the blame goes to them only and not to the public,” the Congress legislator said.
He said, once the resolution is taken on the floor of the house, it has become the public bill actually, so they should know how to handle it.
“So you cannot blame any NGO any more or no NGO is needed out here anymore to pursue the matter. No Khasi Literature Society is needed, No Garo Literature Society is needed out here, now both the parties have gone to Delhi regarding this one. It’s the matter pending in Delhi that should be persuaded by our Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues,” Sangma said.
“You see the inclusion of the languages, I have told you again and again, it has already been decided on the floor of the house, it was passed on the floor of the house in 2019 I think, and it’s not a new issue. If the Bill is pending in Delhi, or the letter or any kind of a document is pending in Delhi- its the Government’s fault only,” Saleng said.
“ Now you see there are lots of other languages that they want to push for the 8th schedule but in our case, in Meghalaya’s case it’s the Government bill which we have passed on the floor of the house. Other states those who sent their language to be included in the 8th schedule , they have not passed it in the Assembly, so our case is much more better and much more clearer , so there shouldn’t be any problem or any issue in the parliament to pass our language,” he added.
Eminent writers, authors and legislators belonging to the Khasi community took their decades-old fight for language recognition to the national capital by holding a two-day long seminar, protest rally and other programmes. Later for Garo language, Tura MP Agatha Sangma too led a delegation.
Shifting his focus, the Congress legislator from the Gambegre constituency, Saleng A Sangma spoke about the prospect of Congress in Garo Hills in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. He said, if people want change, they should take responsibility.
The Congress leader further claimed that Centrally Sponsored Schemes are not well implemented in the State. He said in a democracy, objective of the people should be clear, not the leaders.
Asked about the Winter capital demand, he said the demand is genuine, however, the issue is doused off. Even as the Legislator smells controversy over the issue. From price rise, electricity beside development will be some of the Key issues.
Asked, he said, “Chief Minister represents 60 MLAs, in Democracy what he says is always yes, if he say no means no, if he say yes means yes. So, now since he represents 60 MLAs, he represents Meghalaya, wherever he goes he represents Meghalaya and it’s not necessary for all the 60 MLAs to go along with him. “