Ho community members gather in Delhi's Jantar Mantar, demand constitutional recognition of language

New Delhi [India], October 31 (ANI): Hundreds of members of the Ho community from across India gathered at Jantar Mantar here in the national capital on Friday under the banner of the All India Ho Language Action Committee (AIHLAC), demanding the inclusion of the Ho language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

The one-day mass dharna drew the participation of nearly 500 people, including students, intellectuals, and community leaders from Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal, according to a statement from the All India Ho Language Action Committee (AIHLAC).

Members raised slogans such as "Ho Language Hamara Adhikar Hai," "Hamara Demand Lengal Demand," "Ho Language Include Karo," and "Central Sarkar Hai Hai", emphasising their long-pending demand for constitutional recognition.

Among other key demands is the grant of constitutional status to preserve and promote the rich linguistic, literary, and cultural heritage of the Ho-speaking population.

According to AIHLAC, the Ho language, belonging to the Austroasiatic Munda language family, is spoken by over 40 lakh people across India as their mother tongue and used by around 10 lakh non-tribal speakers in daily communication.
"Despite being listed in the Census of India since 1961, the language has yet to receive constitutional recognition," the AIHLAC noted.

The Governments of Odisha and Jharkhand have already recommended the inclusion of the Ho language in the Eighth Schedule, they said. In addition, expert committees chaired by Eminent Scholar Sitakant Mohapatra and Prof (Dr) AB Ota has submitted favourable reports supporting its inclusion.
"Several Members of Parliament have also raised this issue multiple times in Parliament, urging the Union Government to consider this long-standing demand," the statement read.

The All India Ho Language Action Committee, in one voice, appealed to the President of India, the Prime Minister, and the Union Home Minister to take immediate action for the inclusion of the Ho language in the Eighth Schedule.
Speaking at the protest, a AIHLAC representative said, "This is not just a linguistic issue, but a matter of identity, pride, and justice for the Ho-speaking community. If our demand is not met, we will intensify our movement across the country."
The protest concluded peacefully, with community leaders submitting a memorandum to the Ministry of Home Affairs, urging prompt action on their demand, the statement concluded.
The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution currently consists of the following 22 languages Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili, and Dogri. (ANI)