Aizawl: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Thursday assured appropriate follow-up on the proposal to include the Mizo language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
The development came following a meeting with the members of the Eighth Schedules Study Group under the Mizo Language Development Board at his office, where he was briefed on the near-completion of the group’s report and its key recommendations.
"Lalduhoma further appreciated the pace and quality of the work carried out within a short time and said the recommendations placed before him were well thought out. He also assured that the proposals would be followed up at the appropriate level," an official statement said.
The Study Group said it has conducted extensive consultations with organisations and communities across Mizoram to gauge public opinion on the issue. According to the members, there is overwhelming consensus in favour of including Mizo in the Eighth Schedule.
They also pointed out that although a proposal had been submitted earlier, it did not see concrete follow-up, and suggested forming a dedicated task group to resubmit and pursue the matter more effectively.
The Group further highlighted that Mizo was declared the official language of the state in 1974 and serves as a common link among Zo ethnic communities living in different parts of the world.
"It has been recognised as a regional language by the Sahitya Akademi and is studied up to the doctoral level. While the People’s Linguistic Survey of India categorises Mizo as a growing language, UNESCO has listed it as "vulnerable," the statement added.
As per the 2011 Census, Mizo speakers are spread across 26 states and seven Union Territories, with the number in Mizoram recorded at over 8.3 lakh. Scholars estimate the global Mizo-speaking population has now crossed 2.2 million.
The language has also been available on Google Translate since May 2022.
The meeting was attended by MLDB chairman R. Lallianzuala, secretary Lalsangpuia, and Study Group members Dr Zoramdinthara and Dr H. Laldinmawia.