MEELAL celebrates its eleventh foundation day at GM Hall
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 18 2014:
Meetei Erol Eyek Loinasillol Apunba Lup (MEELAL) celebrated its 11th Foundation Day at Gandhi Memorial Hall today.
Apart from honouring the authors, who have not used foreign words in their books, MEELAL also distributed prizes for the prose writing and GK competitions in today's function.
The celebration also witnessed release of a Manipuri book entitled, 'Akhak Arao Marakta Nongmei Singjang' .
MP Dr T Meinya, who attended the function as Chief Guest, while speaking at the occasion said that it is the responsibility of the people of the State to popularise Manipuri language.
Although, it is the right of the people to ask for support from the Government when need arises, people must also understand their duties regarding promotion and development of their language.
In his keynote address, MEELAL secretary Paonam Thakaba Meetei said that MEELAL's campaign towards bringing development to Manipuri language has completed 11 years.
The organisation launched its movement for enforcement of Meetei script in February 2005, Thakaba said and added that volunteers of DESAM and MEELAL, who took active role in the said movement, had to spend many months in jail.
With MEELAL's movement gaining mass support, the State Government decided to introduce Meetei script in Manipuri subject from 2006-2007 academic session in Class-I and Class-II, as a result of which, year 2015 would witness the first batch of students who write Meetei script in Class X examination.
Following MEELAL's demand, the State Government had conducted TET examination for Meetei Mayek teachers in 2013, he said and added that with opening of Language Planning and Implementation Department, the Department has set up Manipur State Level Lexicon Committee to pick out foreign words from Manipuri books.
As such, the books, which would be published by Board of Secondary Education Manipur, would no longer have any foreign word from 2015 .