SHILLONG : Meghalaya has launched a ₹20-crore research initiative to examine the historical roots and migration links of the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo communities, with 75 scholars set to travel to Vietnam, Cambodia and Tibet.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma launched Ki Dienjat Revisiting the Roots on Tuesday, along with the Tracing the Roots Project, which will bring together research on the history, language, culture and movement of the State’s indigenous communities.
The project will run for an initial 18 months and cover the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo regions. Researchers will use oral traditions, linguistic studies, archaeology and scientific methods to examine evidence relating to the origins and migration of the communities.
The government has also launched the Ki Dienjat e-Portal, a digital platform intended to collect and manage research material and provide a common space for researchers and communities to share information.
Sangma said the initiative was being taken to address gaps in research on the origins of Meghalaya’s indigenous communities.
“To close this gap, we constituted a dedicated study team under the Department of Arts and Culture, bringing together distinguished scholars and officials to lead a comprehensive, interdisciplinary effort to explore and analyze the ancestral origins of our tribes,” he said.
The research will look at historical references and indigenous knowledge that point towards possible connections between the Khasi-Jaintia people and parts of Southeast Asia, including areas in present-day Cambodia and Laos.
The government has previously announced plans to study these links. Sangma had said in November 2025 that a dedicated committee would examine the migration histories of the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo communities, including possible connections with Vietnam, Cambodia and Tibet.
The 2026-27 Meghalaya Budget subsequently provided for 75 scholars to travel to Vietnam, Cambodia and Tibet as part of the ancestral research programme. The government has also linked the research initiative with its wider efforts to document Meghalaya’s heritage. The Chief Minister’s Research Grant has supported 48 scholars in its first year, while the government has said more than 14,000 historical records have been scientifically archived.
The Ki Dienjat programme will generate digital archives and educational resources from the research, with the government also looking at future opportunities in museums, tourism, music, cultural exchange and academic collaboration.
Sangma said the initiative was part of a wider effort to help young people understand the history and journeys of Meghalaya’s indigenous communities.
