MLDC demands inclusion of Meetei Mayek in currency notes
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 11 2013 :
Manipur Language Development Committee (MLDC) has categorically observed that non-inclusion of Meetei Mayek writing on Indian currency notes and coins even after more than 20 years of recognition of the script in the VIIIth Schedule of Indian Constitution is nothing but violation of right of the people for development of their mother tongue.
Issuing a statement in this regard, President of MLDC L Sharatchandra went on to say that what is even more shocking to the people of Manipur is that the State Government has not spoken anything to the Centre over the matter even though the Committee has been pressing the RBI and the Government of India for inclusion of Meetei Mayek on Indian currency notes since 1994 .
Along with declaring Manipuri language in Meetei Mayek script as the State language, a State Gazette had been issued in 1997.However, the selection of the native script of the people to be printed on the currency notes could not be finalized following some disagreement.
Nonetheless, if the state government makes earnest effort at this juncture, the Central government and Union Finance Minister would surely agreed to the proposal of including Meetei Mayek in the Indian currency notes, Sharatchandra maintained.
Moreover, as Manipuri language has a long history of more than 2000 year, it can be enlisted among the classical languages of India.
So, it is necessary to exert pressures on the Union Human Resource Development Minister in this respect, he added.
Urging the concerned authority to expedite the process of transcribing all the books in Meetei Mayek, Sharatchandra also demanded to publicly highlight the activities that the state government would be taking up to ensure inclusion of Meetei Mayek in Indian currency notes and coins.