Shillong: Securing Eighth Schedule status for the Khasi language requires more than political handshake deals. Senior advocate Dr. Fenela L. Nonglait says the bid must clear strict constitutional hurdles. Promises from the BJP leadership to former UDP MLAs are not enough. The process demands hard math in both Houses of Parliament.
The push for federal recognition of Khasi and Garo has stalled for years. Meghalaya lawmakers passed a resolution on September 18, 2018, to demand the change. It produced nothing. Political heat rose again on September 23 when eight former UDP legislators, led by Amlarem MLA Lahkmen Rymbui, joined the BJP. They claim party bosses promised to move the needle on the language issue. Nonglait remains skeptical of these political maneuvers.
She notes that a two-thirds majority is mandatory for a constitutional amendment. The NDA holds 240 seats from the 2024 Lok Sabha cycle but needs to hit roughly 362 votes in the 543-member chamber. This math forces the government to court rivals like the Congress and the Trinamool Congress. "No single political party could deliver on the demand without securing the requisite parliamentary support," Nonglait stated. She insists this is a collective duty for all elected officials.
Meghalaya already took local action on August 28 by passing the Meghalaya Official Language Bill, 2026. This move keeps Khasi and Garo on the books alongside English at the state level. Yet, state law does not bind the Union. The clock is ticking toward the 2029 expiration of this Lok Sabha term. Lawmakers must now choose to bypass partisan bickering if they want the status change to hold.
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