Legislators' resentment over Governor's address

Shillong, March 16: Meghalya Governor Ganga Prasad first address on the floor of the Legislative Assembly was in Hindi on Friday. The address left the legislators and officials pondering on the essence of the Government policies and programmes. Not that Hindi as a language is a not understandable, yet it was the pure grammatical  usage (unlike the filmy Hindi) that left many in a quandary.  

Ampareen Lyngdoh of the Congress party left the House in eight minutes time – a period when the governor was addressing on vital issues..  “I left because I could not understand the language that our respected Governor is speaking,” stated the disgusted Ampareen Lyngdoh, who indirectly stated that imposition of language and culture is not part of her dictiory. Leader of the opposition Mukul Sangma termed the address in Hindi by the Governor as ‘unprecedented’. “One should look at the conventions of our Legislative Assembly where English has been used to relate and communicate with the people,” Mukul sangma said even as he added to his subtle political jibe that “They have shown what they wanted to enforce through the language.”

The Speaker of the legislative Assembly Donkupar Roy said that there was no wrong on the part of the Governor to address in Hindi if one goes with the rules, procedures and conduct of the house. Yet he disclosed that this is the first time in the Assembly records where the Governor address was delivered in Hindi.

The Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said, “Why make an issue out of it when the Governor is comfortable in Hindi. The text of his speech has been translated into English and was distributed. ”   In course of his Address, Ganga Prasad skip certain paragraphs of immence importance, but the Chief Minister said that he has summarized it in his elucidation of the Government programme and policies.