Meghalaya: Legislators Protest Governor’s Speech in Hindi in Budget Session

SHILLONG: The elected members of the Voice of the People’s Party walked out of the house on the first session of the newly elected Meghalaya Assembly protesting the governor delivering his opening address in Hindi.

The first budget session of the new Meghalaya Assembly started on Monday. The first event on the schedule was the delivery of the address by the Governor of Meghalaya for the elected legislators. When Phagu Chauhan delivered his customary address in Hindi, the representative from the Nongkrem constituency, Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit mentioned that Meghalaya is not a Hindi-speaking state and that the Government of India cannot impose the Hindi language on the people of Meghalaya.

He went on to add that this is against the sentiments of the people of the state and that the state will never accept a language being imposed on them.

Replying to Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, the chief minister, Conrad K Sangma said that such behaviour is not expected from an elected member of the state assembly. While the Speaker of the Meghalaya Assembly Thomas A Sangma mentioned that he would allow the Governor to address the legislators in Hindi as a written version of the speech was distributed to all the members of the house.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister of the state of Meghalaya and a member of the National People’s Party member Ampareen Lyngoh also mentioned that it was important to ensure that the Government of India understands that the people of Meghalaya do not understand Hindi. She mentioned that even though an English copy was provided, it was very difficult to follow the same.

And the elected members of the Voice of the People’s Party walked out of the House as a mark of protest to the Hindi speech.

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