MEELAL observes Meetei Mayek implementation Day
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 18 2012: The Meetei Eerol Eeyek Loinasillon Lup (MEELAL) today observed that 6th Meetei Mayek Implementation Day at Manipur Press Club, Imphal with retired Principal and member of Meetei Mayek Expert Committee Prof Ng Kangjiya Mangang as Chief Guest and Editor of Hueiyen Lanpao (Meetei Mayek Edition) Maisnam Shivadutta Luwang as Guest of Honour.

Speaking on the occasion, Maisnam Shivadutta observed that unlike the spirit which was prevalent in 2005, today the movement for promotion and implementation of Meetei Mayek in school syllabus is lacks vigour.

Even of the movement is heading towards the right direction; people have no access to adequate reading materials in Meetei Mayek.

In order to solve the problem, the state needs an academic approach towards development of the script.

Editor of Hueiyen Lanpao (Meetei Mayek edition) Maisnam Shivadutta Luwang ( extreme left) at the 6th Meetei Mayek Implementation Day

The government should take up steps to transcript resource materials in Meetei Mayek.

It should set a target to transcript books into Meetei Mayek on a yearly basis.

He also urged the MEELAL to speed up publication of its proposed Anglo Manipuri disctionary in Meetei Mayek.

He further pointed out that many people from the hill districts were seen during the movement for promotion of Meetei Mayek in 2005 .

But such participations by the hills people are rarely seen today, which is a matter of great concern.

Many developed countries which do not have proper identities are today trying to build up their identity in order to assert their identity and rights in front of other nations.

However, in Manipur, people are sidelining and ignoring the matter even though we have all the components of an indigenous people with their own identities.

Moreover, the public leaders who are holding important posts in the government are not taking any initiatives in this regard, he lamented.

In his speech as Chief Guest, Prof Ng Kangjiya Mangang, who is also an expert in the field, recalled how the State Level Meetei Mayek Committee was formed in 1958 and hold various state level conferences to find out the true script of the community.

The Meetei Mayek Expert Committee was formed in 1978 and the present script was finally chosen to be the true one in 1979 by the committee and submitted the recommendation to the state government.

Following the recommendation, the state government approved the Meetei Mayek and its allied system of writing in 1980 and published the same in government gazette.

After a gap of 25 years, the script was implemented in school syllabus as compulsory script for MIL subject, Prof Kangjiya said, adding that MEELAL played a big role in implementing the script.

MEELAL also distributed prizes to the winners of 6th State Level Meetei Mayek Written Competition held as part of the anniversary observation.

The competition was carried out in three different categories (Class 1 to II, Class III to V and Class VI to VIII) .

First three winners of the three categories were awarded cash prizes, certificates and simple gifts.

Consolation prizes were also presented to 17 participants of each category.

In all 3500 students participated in the competitions.