Shillong, Sep 25: The Jaintia National Council (JNC) has demanded for a special session of Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) to pass a resolution for inclusion of Pnar language in Meghalaya State Language Act and a special law to safeguard customs and traditions of Pnars.
A delegation of JNC led by its general secretary Wanshwa Suting met the JHADC chief Thombor Shiwat and requested his intervention on the matter.
“The JNC is among the organisations in Jaintia Hills advocating for the state government to recognise the Pnar language, which is central to the region, under the Meghalaya State Language Act. Furthermore, the JHADC should establish a specific law to safeguard our customs and traditions, particularly concerning the way we honour our mothers with titles,” a JNC statement said.
It said the JHADC chief has informed the delegation that the JHADC has approved the recognition of the A-B Jaintia alphabet, and this decision was officially announced in the Meghalaya gazette in 2021.
“He (Shiwat) also reminded that the issue regarding the A-B Jaintia alphabet has already been submitted to the state government and is currently under the jurisdiction of the law department for review…and and assured that he will follow up on this matter in the coming days, which is intended to benefit all the people of Jaintia.”
However, the JNC emphasized the necessity for the JHADC to begin utilizing the A-B Jaintia script in its historical documents, particularly in legislative matters, and when issuing various notifications. The JHADC should explore methods to introduce the Jaintia alphabet, especially in schools under its authority.
The organization also highlighted the importance of the JHADC passing a resolution to urge the state government to recognize the Pnar language as one of the official languages in Meghalaya by incorporating it into the Meghalaya State Language Act.
“The way we, the children of Jaintia Hills (Pnar, War, Khynriam, Bhoi), give titles to our mother distinguishes us from other ethnic groups within the Jaintia Hills borders. As children of Hyniewtrep, we have always been taught that our titles belong to our mother, and we continue to uphold this tradition. In today’s scientific world, some individuals are attempting to mislead our community into altering our uniqueness, which is why the JNC has stepped forward to advise the JHADC on the urgent need for a robust law to safeguard our culture.
“While we can protect our customs and traditions, we also assert that we are a unique community, and the other ethnic groups living alongside us cannot claim our culture and land, as we are fundamentally different from them,” it said.
