SHILLONG, MAY 31: The Jaintia National Council and the Jaiñtia Students Union on Saturday resolved to jointly pursue formal recognition of the Jaintia language under the Meghalaya State Language Act and push for official status for the A-B Jaintia phonetic alphabet, citing contradictory positions from state authorities on its progress.
The resolution was adopted at a joint meeting of the JNC Central Executive Committee and JSU held at Cafe Central, Jowai, on the “pressing subject of the preservation and official recognition of the Jaiñtia language and the A-B Jaiñtia Phonetic Alphabet.”
The meeting was attended by “senior citizens, scholars, members of Jaiñtia literary bodies, teachers, writers, professors, and representatives of both organisations,” reflecting community concern over the issue.
Addressing the media, JNC Central Executive Committee President Sambormi Lyngdoh called the meeting fruitful and successful, adding that participants “ultimately converged on one unified thought and resolution.”
“To vigorously follow up and push for the formal recognition of the Jaiñtia language in the Meghalaya State Language Act, and to ensure that the A-B Jaiñtia Phonetic Alphabet — whose recognition was already passed by resolution of the JHADC in its Budget Session of 2021, and subsequently published in the Meghalaya Gazette notification — receives its rightful official status without further delay,” Lyngdoh said.
He stressed that “official recognition alone is not sufficient if the community does not actively nurture its language from within.” He appealed to the Jaiñtia people, “It is now high time for our people to begin writing books and articles in our mother tongue — in the Jaiñtia language — for the benefit of our future generations. This is the most meaningful and lasting way to preserve and revive our language and our roots. If we truly want to enrich our language, we must start writing it ourselves, and let us start from home.”
“Survival of our Language is the Survival of our identity. Im i ktien Im ka Jaidbru,” he added.
Lyngdoh announced that the JNC and JSU will “jointly undertake the task of identifying, collecting, and compiling books and articles written by members of the community in the Jaiñtia language, in order to take the necessary steps for their wider use and dissemination.”
He also appealed to authors facing difficulties in publication.“We urge every such writer to come forward and approach the two organisations. We will do everything within our capacity to find a way forward. And we appeal to our people — let us begin writing our books in our own language, so that one day they may be used in our schools and institutions for the generations that follow us.”
JSU President Jersom Shylla described the gathering as “deeply heartwarming,” noting the presence of “scholars, teachers, advisers, and community leaders who came together with a shared sense of purpose.”
Shylla, however, flagged “unresolved and contradictory status of the Jaiñtia alphabet at the government level.”
“The A-B Jaiñtia Phonetic Alphabet was passed by a resolution of the JHADC and was published in the Meghalaya Gazette — these are undeniable official facts. Yet to this day, there is no concrete update on its progress,” he said.
“What is deeply concerning is that the Chief Executive Member of the JHADC has stated that the matter is now with the Law Department of the State Government — while our Cabinet Minister, Shri Wailadmiki Shylla, has stated that the matter is with the Governor’s Office. These two statements are contradictory and cannot both be true. Whom do we believe?” Shylla asked.
He said that “in light of this institutional contradiction and continued ambiguity,” the two organisations have “jointly resolved to actively follow up, trace, and pursue this matter through all appropriate channels until a clear and conclusive answer is obtained from the concerned authorities.”
