Mizoram Chief Minister Reviews Progress on Mizo Language Eighth Schedule Inclusion
In a significant development for linguistic recognition in India, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma held a crucial meeting with members of the Eighth Schedule Study Group in Aizawl on Thursday. The study group, which operates under the auspices of the Mizo Language Development Board (MLDB), has been diligently working to gather comprehensive public opinion regarding the inclusion of the Mizo language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Progress Report and Near Completion of Study
During the detailed briefing session, the study group members informed Chief Minister Lalduhoma about the substantial progress achieved in their important work. While the final report has not yet been formally submitted to the government, the group confirmed that their extensive exercise is approaching completion. The Chief Minister expressed genuine appreciation for the remarkable progress made by both the MLDB and the study group within a relatively short timeframe, specifically commending their dedicated efforts and commitment to this linguistic cause.
Overwhelming Public Consensus and Historical Context
The study group revealed that through extensive visits to various organizations and communities across Mizoram, they have encountered an overwhelming consensus in favor of including Mizo in the Constitution's Eighth Schedule. This finding underscores the deep-rooted linguistic aspirations of the Mizo people. The group also highlighted a historical context, noting that although Mizoram had previously submitted a proposal for this inclusion, no concrete follow-up action had materialized over time.
In light of this historical gap, the study group proposed the constitution of a specialized task group with a clear mandate to resubmit the proposal in a comprehensive manner and pursue the matter with renewed vigor and strategic focus.
Linguistic Significance and Recognition of Mizo Language
The meeting extensively discussed the profound linguistic significance of Mizo, which was officially declared the state language of Mizoram back in 1974. Beyond state boundaries, Mizo serves as a vital common medium of communication among Zo ethnic communities residing in different parts of the world, creating cultural and linguistic bonds across geographical distances.
The language has received multiple recognitions that underscore its importance:
- The Sahitya Akademi has recognized Mizo as a legitimate regional language
- Academic institutions offer Mizo language studies up to the PhD level
- The People's Linguistic Survey of India has classified Mizo as a growing language
- UNESCO has placed Mizo in the "vulnerable" category among world languages
Demographic Reach and Digital Presence
According to the 2011 Census data, Mizo speakers are distributed across 26 Indian states and seven Union Territories, with Mizoram itself recording 8,30,846 speakers at that time. Linguistic scholars estimate that this number has increased substantially in subsequent years, with some suggesting that the total number of Mizo speakers worldwide may now exceed 2.2 million people.
In a significant digital milestone, Mizo was included as a translatable language on Google Translate on May 11, 2022. This inclusion was particularly noteworthy as Google selected only 24 languages worldwide from 1,745 languages studied for this feature, placing Mizo among this elite group of digitally recognized languages.
The meeting concluded with Chief Minister Lalduhoma acknowledging that the recommendations and proposals presented by the study group were well-considered and thoughtfully prepared. He assured the group members that their suggestions would receive appropriate follow-up attention from the government as Mizoram continues its pursuit of constitutional recognition for its primary language.
