Meghalaya: Over 2,000 Garos protest mandatory Khasi requirement in DSC exams

More than 2,000 members of the Garo community from different parts of the Khasi Hills gathered at Mallangkona in West Khasi Hills to protest against the requirement of making Khasi mandatory in District Selection Committee (DSC) recruitment examinations.

The gathering was held at the Sildubi Mini Playground and was described by organisers as the first major public meeting on the issue. It was organised jointly by the Mallangkona Area Development Organisation (MADO), Mallangkona Area Council of Headmen, Mallangkona Women’s Federation, Mallangkona Youth Multi-Purpose Society, Achik Krima Mallangkona Regional Unit and Mallangkona Area VO and SHG.

The participants welcomed the provision allowing both Khasi and Garo in DSC recruitment examinations but opposed the requirement that candidates in the Khasi Hills must take Khasi as a compulsory language.

Organisers said the provision could affect thousands of Garos who have lived in the Khasi Hills for generations and could limit their access to government employment.

MADO general secretary Manuel Ch Marak said many Garos in the Khasi Hills could speak or understand Khasi but were not necessarily familiar with the Khasi script.

He described the mandatory requirement as discriminatory and said Garo should continue to be available as a language option in recruitment examinations.

Marak also raised concerns over the long-term impact of the policy on the use of Garo in the Khasi Hills, as well as its potential effect on employment opportunities for Garo youths.

MADO president John Sangma said the organisation had raised the issue with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, the two Deputy Chief Ministers and the Governor. The delegation, he said, sought assurances that the provision would not disadvantage the Garo community.

According to Sangma, the Governor had indicated that the legislation could be struck down if it was found to be discriminatory. However, the organisers said they were yet to receive a concrete assurance on whether the provision would be revised or withdrawn.

The community leaders said they would hold further meetings in villages across the Khasi Hills if their demands were not addressed. They also plan to approach MLAs across Meghalaya to seek support.

UAYF secretary Zimichrist G Marak said both Khasi and Garo should be available as language options for proficiency tests under the DSC recruitment system. He suggested that a similar arrangement could be considered for the Garo Hills region.

The meeting also raised other issues concerning the Garo community, including the demand for allowing Garos to serve as headmen in the Khasi Hills and ensuring that teachers appointed to teach Garo in schools belong to the Garo community.

The organisers called for the government to review the provision and resolve the issue through dialogue, while saying they would continue their democratic protests if their concerns remained unaddressed.