HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Nov 3: A delegation of National People’s Party (NPP) leaders from Meghalaya, including
Lok Sabha MP Agatha Sangma, Speaker Thomas A Sangma, and minister Marcuise N Marak,
convened with the secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi. The purpose of the
meeting was to advocate for the inclusion of the Garo language in the list of demands for
recognition under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Following the exclusion of the Garo language from the 38 languages under review for inclusion in the
Eighth Schedule, notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the government of India, MP
Agatha K Sangma and Speaker Thomas A Sangma spearheaded the delegation. Their primary
objective was to request the MHA to reconsider and include the Garo language in the list of
languages proposed for incorporation in the Eighth Schedule.
Responding to their appeal, the Ministry of Home Affairs has agreed to include the Garo language in
the roster of languages proposed for incorporation in the Eighth Schedule. The announcement of
this inclusion was made by chief minister Conrad Sangma of Meghalaya on social media.
This positive response from the MHA marks a significant step forward in the recognition and
potential inclusion of the Garo language in the constitutional provisions, signifying a substantial
victory for the NPP leaders and their efforts to preserve and promote linguistic diversity within the
Indian constitutional framework.
