Imphal, March 23: The State Government has failed to work out a solution with the agitating Meetei Mayek activists who are demanding a definite stand of the Government on the issue of replacement of Manipuri text books written in Bengali script with Meetei Mayek in schools and colleges from the current academic session.

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh today held talks with the representatives of MEELAL and DESAM but failed to bring an amicable solution to the ongoing Mayek imbroglio, informed a reliable source.

However, since the talk has been initiated to resolve the matter, the State Government from its side appealed to the Mayek activists to call off their agitation.

But representatives of MEELAL and DESAM stuck to their guns and made it clear that they would carry on with their agitation till the Government comes out with a definite stand on implementing Meetei Mayek, according to the source.

The meeting held at the Chief Minister�s Secretariat lasted for two hours from 4 pm to 6 pm and was attended by Industries Minister N Mangi, MLAs N Biren and K Ranjit.

Meanwhile, MEELAL in a statement made it clear that they cannot be taken for a ride by the smooth talking Chief Minister.

The statement said that the meeting was held following a written intimation from the side of the Government.

The meeting failed to break the deadlock because the Chief Minister kept on insisting that it would be impossible to pass the Language Act to implement Meetei Mayek and instead suggested that the people should first learn the script.

MEELAL said that such an illogical stand caught them by surprise and added that the team consisting of 6 MEELAL activists and 3 members of DESAM pointed out to the Chief Minister that a policy was needed to make the script familiar to the people.

However without charting out any policy, the CM stuck to his guns that the people should first learn the script before it is implemented in the schools and colleges, said the statement.

Stating that the CM tried to play the hill valley card, MEELAL informed that Ibobi said hill district students are not keen to learn Manipuri with many of them opting for Alternative English.

One MEELAL representative Angam Pan- mei was asked by the CM about the number of students in Tamenglong taking up Manipuri.

To this Panmei replied that hill students are not keen to learn Manipuri written in Bengali script as it tough but added that Meetei Mayek is much simpler and many students know, claimed the statement.

Asserting that there will be no backtracking, MEELAL said all its members have geared to enforce the economic blockade from midnight today.

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