State dailies to cease Bengali papers from Jan, 2023
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, January 28 2022:
The Monitoring
Committee, Meetei Mayek
Implementation has been
entrusted with the task of
taking up necessary steps
towards ensuring conversion
of Bengali script newspapers
being published in the state
at present into Meetei Mayek
by January 15, 2023 and also
for development of the indigenous
script.
A unanimous decision
in this regard was arrived
at during a meeting of the
Monitoring Committee held
Friday at Manipur Press Club
with key functionaries of
MEELAL and representatives
of AMWJU and EGM in
attendance.
The meet presided over
by AMWJU president
Wangkhemcha Shamjai discussed
in length about development
of Meetei Mayek
and regretted the inability to
achieve the target of converting
Bengali script newspapers
into Meetei Mayek by February
5, 2022 set earlier due to
COVID-19 pandemic.
Nevertheless,
the committee after
thorough discussion with all
stakeholders present during
the meeting unanimously
agreed to phase out Bengali
script by January 15, 2023.
The meet also discussed
numerous problems likely to
be encountered during sudden
conversion of Bengali
into Meetei Mayek newspapers
from February 15, 2023
and decided to begin gradual
insertion of news reports in
Meetei Mayek from February
1, 2022 while Bengali script
newspapers which have been
dedicating specific space for
Meetei Mayek script would
increase contents of the indigenous
script.
The meeting also unanimously
resolved to appeal
to media houses for making
necessary measures in this
regard and hand over responsibility
of developing Meetei
Mayek script properly before
January, 2023 to Poknapham/
The People's Chronicle executive
editor Sh Gautam and
MEELAL general secretary
Huirem Loikhomba.
It was also agreed during
the meeting that newspapers
which are being published
in Bengali script will begin
countdown for full conversion
of the publication in
Meetei Mayek from February,
2022 and to urge the media
houses to translate the decision
into action effectively.
The meeting also unanimously
resolved to continue
with Huirem Loikhomba as
convener of the committee
further and also to approach
MEELAL to continue
shouldering responsibility
for development of the indigenous
script and take up
relevant programmes.