Journey of Life with 18 Kanglei Alphabets
- Discovery of Kangleipak :: 42 -

Wangkhemcha Chingtamlen *

Meitei Mayek Artifacts from "DigitizeManipur" in April 2008 :: Pix Courtesy - L. Somi Roy

The humble writer, W. Chingtamlen was born in 1933 C.E. and passed Matriculation in 1956 at about 24yrs of age, very late in life. The writer met Takhellambam Bokul, the great Revivalist of Kanglei culture and Tradition in 1956 itself and the writer became a devoted follower of the great Revivalist from 1956 itself. Therefore, for the first time in the life of the writer, the Mayek, the writer associated with as the Naoria Phulo Mayek as an 'Ancient Kanglei Eeyek' amongst the ancient Kanglei Mayeks. In 1960 the writer passed B.A. exam from the D.M. College, Imphal. In the early 60s the Meetei Marup led by Takhellambam Bokul exhibited Naoria Phulo Mayek at an exhibition(Mela) at Pologround and the writer was in charge of the Stall of the Meetei Marup.

One day at about 11 am in the Mela, two young persons probably from Bengal, came and examined the Naoria Phulo Mayek on exhibition at the Meetei Marup stall and asked the writer:
The Bengali friend: Do you claim these Alphabets as Ancient Manipuri Alphabets?
The writer: Yes (very bravely).
The Bengali friend: How do you pronounce the alphabets?
The writer: Om, Ara, Era, etc ( for the vowels)
Lai, Kak, Dhan, Nong, Yong, etc ( for the consonants)
The Bengali friend: the symbols and pronounciation seem to be modified Bengali Alphabets, etc. (the Begali friend commented).

The writer was puzzled and had no Answer at the comments of the Bengali friend. After serious thinking for some days, the writer gave up the Naoria Mayek as an Ancient Kanglei Eeyek, forever. Then, the writer met one Okram Nityai who said that there are only 25 Kanglei Ancient Meetei Mayek(in the group of 35 Meetei Mayek). Even the writer represented the Pandit Okram Nityai at a Mayek conference at Pologround(The writer cannot remember the date of the conference).

For the time being, the writer spent some years with 'Oja' Nityai and seriously studied the 25/35 Meetei(Meitei) Mayek (the group of Meitei Mayek with ). The time may be early part of 1960s. In the mean time, the Puya, Wakoklon Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok, printed in Bengali Scripts by Ahal-Ibungo Thokchom Thoukachanpa of Sagolband came to the hands of the writer and still the writer possesses upto this day. The writer has not seen the original of the Puya upto this day.

At this time of the writer's life, he never see any document of 18 alphabets of the Meetei Race. At the outset, the 18 Alphabets of the Wakoklon Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok of Ahal Ibungo Thoukachanpa prove to be a very different set of Kanglei Alphabets from those the writer has seen so far at the time, that is, from Naoria Mayek and Meitei Mayek and Meitei Mayek 35/36 groups.

The writer's Devotion and Love for a Kanglei Ancient Alphabet has gone completely to the 18 Alphabets of late Ahal Ibungo Thoukachanpa of Sagolband and gave an unceremonious Good-bye to other Kanglei Alphabet groups. This time the writer goes very frequently to the home of Ahal-Ibungo Thoukachanpa and he became the writer's friend-guide-philosopher. Unfortunately, the Ahal-Ibungo did not live long and gone forever. In the mean time, in 1971, the writer bought a copy of the puya, Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Ama-ilon Pukok (by the time: Amailon Pukok) transcribed in Bengali scripts by the Khuwai Meetei Thoukal Langkal Malup of Sakolpan.

Today everybody interested in the Kanglei Alphabets knows very well that both the Wakoklon Thilel Salai Amailon and Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Ama-ilon Pukok are written in 18 ancient Kanglei alphabets. As the writer possessed the two Puyas since the 1971 CE, the writer became more interested and devoted to the 18 Ancient Kanglei Alphabets, with Happiness and Encouragement, and also with a Sudden Height of Pride.

The writer Read and Read, and the Puyas became very clear to the writer and differences between the Puyas became clearer day by day. By the time of 1980, when the Manipur government accepted 27 Meitei Mayeks for the Schools of Manipur, the writer thinks, he was a member of the Mannaba Apunba Marup and Yumnam Tamphajao of Keisampat was the Ideologue of the Marup. Late Yumnama Tamphajao represented the Mannaba Apunba Marup in the expert committee when the 27 alphabets were selected and most probably he signed the final selection of the 27 alphabets.

The writer has no knowledge how Late Yumnam Tamphajao was selected by the Mannaba Apunba Marup for the expert committee. The writer knew all these from the Newspaper reports. On 16th Nov, 1978, A Meetei Mayek expert committee consisting of 12 members was constituted by the government of Manipur. The members are:
1. Mr. Yangmaso Sheiza, Chairman
2. Dr. L. Chandramani, Convenor, Agriculture Minister, Manipur.
3. Mr. Tourangbam Ibotombi Singh, Member Secretary, Director of Education(S).
4. Prof. Mangi Ningomba, JNU Centre, Canchipur.
5. Miss Sorojini Devi, Activist, State Kala Academy
6. S. Rohini Kumar/Iboyaima i.e. Librarian, Manipur Secretariate

Other Delegate Members:
7. Mr. Laishram Kulachandra, Malom Changanggei.
8. Mr. Yumnam Tamphajao, Keisampat
9. Prof. W. Tomchou, DM College
10. Mr. Loitongbam Mohindro (Jayanta Kumar), Kwakeithel.
11. Prof. Kangjam Gopal, Oriental College.
12. Mr. Ningombam Iboyaima, Thangmeiban

During the time of Mr. L. Jayanta, Minister of Education, Government of Manipur, a meeting of expert committee on the Meetei Mayek held and the writer had no knowledge in details as the Meeting Minutes, etc are not widely published. Very very recently on 17/11/12, an expert committee meeting on Meetei Mayek was held under the chairmanship of Education Minister M. Okendra. As report in the newspaper indicated, govt. officials and members of the Meelan joined the Meeting. No more is known by the writer.

What transacted before the Final Selection of the '27 Meetei Mayek':
(1) At the 3rd Meeting of the Meetei Mayek Expert committee on 11/12/78, the expert committee decided a 12 criteria(yumfam) of the selection of the Meetei Mayek.
The second criterion says: Mayek Lepnabagi Yumfamgi Matangda Ariba Record Neinaba.
The third criterion says: Mayekki Hourakfamgi Matangda Wari Neinaba.

When the expert committee discussed the 2nd criterion, the committee discussed about the Grierson Mayek 35, 25 Meitei Mayek of the 35 group of Meetei Mayek. The expert committee rejected 35, 25 group of the Meetei/Meitei mayek. Under this 2nd criterion, the expert committee selected the 28 alphabets of the Wakoklon Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok, as they fulfils the second criterion as proposed by Prof. Kangjam Gopal(Kangjia), Oriental College. The next consideration of the expert committee under 2nd criterion(yumpham) was the 9 lom mayeks as we see today in the 1980 govt. Gazette implementing the 27 mayek since 1980. The selection of 9 Lom mayeks by the expert committee seems very shady, is not clear, as reported in the newspaper.

In 1980 and since 1978 when the govt. 'Meetei Mayek expert committee' was constituted by the govt. of Manipur, there are some hundreds of copies fo the Wakoklon Heelel Thielel Salai Ama-ilon Pukok as transcribed to the Bengali alphabets in circulation among the peoples. The Original copy of the Puya had been seen by the writer more than once by that time.

But very unfortunately, inspite of availabilty of the Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Ama-ilon Pukok to the Eeyek Experts, even to common people in Kangleipak(Manipur), nobody mentioned even the name of the Puya by the expert committee Memebers during the discussion. What happened to the expert committee, many sane persons including the writer were Puzzled. Under the 2nd and 3rd criteria for selection of Meetei Mayeks, the expert committee is under compulsary duty to consider the Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Ama-ilon Pukok, Why it was avoided?

Under the 7th criterion, cheitaps, their names and numbers, were accepted by the expert committee as proposed by Prof. Kangjia. Under the 9th criterion, the Cheising Eeyeks (Ama, Ani, Ahum, ...), the symbols etc., as proposed by Prof. Kangjia was accepted by the Expert committee. Mr. Kangjia mentioned Wakoklon Thilel Salai Pukok, Wachetlon Pathup, Kham-Oi Yang-Oi Sekning, etc in his argument.

These are the important Decisions of the Meetei Mayek Expert Committee before the govt. of Manipur accepted the 27 Meetei Mayek as published under No. 1/2/78-SS/E dt. April 22nd 1980 of the Government Gazzette. As the writer was not a member of any of the Meetei Mayek Expert Committee so far, the Purpose of this Article is to Highlight to the englightened Kangleichas that how far the Meetei Mayek 27, most probably recommended by the expert committee, as accepted by the govt. of Manipur, represent the Ancient Meetei Eeyek of Kangleipak.

Before and after the Publication of the 27 Meetei Mayek in the government Gazzette, the Public including the Intelligentic are made to believe that the 27 Meetei Mayeks, accepted by the govt. of Manipur for the schools in Manipur follow the Puya, Wakoklon Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok of the Ahal Ibungo Thoukachanpa. Now please see and examine whether the 27 Meetei Mayeks of the government follow any Ancient Puya of Kangleipak in Forms and Spirit:

The Alphabets/Eeyeks of Ancient Kangleipak (Singtha Cheising Eeyek Ama)
= 27 Meetei Mayeks of the government
Wakoklon Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok
Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Ama-ilon Pukok

These are the four Ancient Meetei Mayeks as found in the Puyas:
The national archive, New Delhi tested Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Ama-ilon
Pukok has the four Alphabets, with Eelik( . ) symbols in the same spirit, the Wakoklon Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok has the four alphabets with Eelik (.) ), as we see above.

But the 27 Meetei Mayeks of the govt. borrowed the Mayek symbols withou Eeliks( . ). The 27 Meetei Mayeks of the govt has the four Alhabets as as we see above without Eelik( . ).

The puya, Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Ama-ilon Pukok says that The Universal Father (called Eepung Loinapa Apakpa) comes on the Malem(the earth) in the symbol of (Singthalon Cheising Eeyek Ama), clearely with Eelik( . ) to create living beings from the eternal space. This symbol is the Eepung Loinapa Apakpa Himself called also as Talang Eepung, Sumbolising the Origin of Life is Extra Terrestrial, Theorised by the Kanglei Meeteis many centuries B.C before any Race on the Earth knew it. Using without Eelik( [.) in the 27 govt. Meetei Mayek for the schools in Manipur Deceives the coming generations to come, Depriving them the unique genius of their Forefathers. And the Teaching to the coming generations of 27 Mayeks will not five the Knowldege to the coming generations that their forefathers are first human beings on the earth who knew the extra-terrestrial origin of life.

2. The selection of Lom Mayeks
9 lom mayeks in the symbol of:

These symbols of 9 lom mayeks are accepted by the govt., are most probably recommended by the Meetei Mayek exp. committee, 1980 are almost all copied from the Grierson Mayeks shown by him at Page 22 of the Lunguistic Survey of India, vol . III, Part III by G.A. Grierson. Grierson says, at page 21 of the same book, that the Mayeks are from Bengal and introduced during the reign of Charairongba who flourished about 1700 AD to manipur.

What are the logics behind the Meetei Mayek expert committee, or the govt. of Manipur for selection or Acceptance of those 9 lom mayeks from Grierson? The Kanglei Ancestors are so wise, they wrote in the Puya which was written before 4000 yrs BP about the Lom Eeyek( ) that
"Khununglolchumsingse Tainapata Leilipa Mee Oipa Eecha Eesu Meetei Pumnamakkitamakta Haichapane ;
He Ningthou-o! Eeyek Likhun Asiti Matamtuki Matung-inna Puthokpikatane Khangpio ."
This is the prediction of the foresighted Ancestors, for the Kangleichas to adjust the mayeks to the future.

Why the Meetei mayek expert committee or the govt. did not use the Puya, Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Ama-ilon Pukok for the Meetei Mayeks of the schools? Why the expert committee or government preferred the Meiter Mayeks introduced from 'Bengal', Designed from Mayeks other than the Ancient Kanglei Eeyeks? It is every Body's Guess.

3. The Cheitap mayeks of the 27 Meetei Mayeks:

Under the 7th criterion, the Meetei Mayek expert committee discussed the Cheitap Mayeks of the 27 Meetei Mayeks to be adopted by govt. for the schools of manipur. Under this criterion also, the Cheitap-Mayek Masing and khonthok of the 27 Meetei Mayek selected as proposed by Prof. Kangjia. The expert committee selected of cheitap mayeks in the symbols in bengali. In the cheitaps there is only one Inap and no more. Without thinking the masing, khonthok, etc of the cheitaps selected by the expert committee, what is the logic and motive of the expert committee and of the Manipur govt. for selecting only only for the schools of Manipur ? It may not be a Logic and Motive of Innocence, may be Intentional. In the Bengali Alphabets, we have and (two Inaps). In the Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Ama-ilon Pukok Puya and Wakoklon Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok (of Thoukachanpa), we have and (two Inaps) in both the Puyas. Because of the Expert committee's selection of only in the symbol of , we cannot write the word Meetei , we have only to write , the Ancient Races' name of Kangleipak.

Whom the Meetei Mayek expert committee and the Manipur Govt. Meant to Kill?
Answer: The Meetei Race of Kangleipak Definitely.
The Infirmity of the selection only one Inap is so great that if the 27 Meetei Mayek is the ancient Kanglei meetei mayek and taught to the coming generations of Kangleipak, the coming generations of Kangleipak will not understand their Races' Original name, the Meetei and will be obliterated the real Name of the Race forever and forever, a present Generation's CRIME to the coming generations to come in Kangleipak.

Through the world over, the philosophers and theologians agree that Man is created in the Image of the God Father, The Origin of this Theory is ancient Kangleipak. Because of this Selection of the 27 meetei Mayeks by the expert committee and Acceptance by the Manipur Government for the schools of Manipur, the Kangleicha Future generations, specially the Meetei Race of Kangleik, a superfine Human group of the world has been Deprived of an Unique Genius property of their Forefathers. Puyas in our hands now, and may be discovered in future will be inaccessible to the coming generations and will be lost forever.

A CRIME Against Humanity, No Doubt!
The above are the sum and substance of the selection of the meetei mayeks 27 by the meetei mayek Expert Committee constituted in 1978 and Acceptance of the 27 Meetei Mayeks by the Government of Maniput in 1980 with Necessarily concoctant infirmities and unethical standards. The selection of the Meetei Mayeks 27 by the Meetei Mayek Expert Committee and Acceptance by the Govt. of Manipur by the Schools of Manipur Did not and Does not follow any known and recognized Puyas of the land. The Kangleichas do not Expect such A thing from the Representative Government constituted under the Constitution of India.

Now! What is left to the Nationalistic Kangleichas to Save our Future Kangleicha Generations to come? As long as we are Indians, we have to do Everything under the Constitution of India, nothing is Outside the Powers of the Constitution, including Governments constituted under the constitution of India. The constitution is the Highest Authority of Land. Constitution is Supreme. The humble writer qutotes the Indian Constitution. The constitution says:
"Cultural and Educational Rights 29(1) Any section of the Citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, Script or Culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same.
(2) No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the state or receiving aid out of state funds on grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them."

Under the "PART III FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS" of the Indian Constitution, there are
24 articles of the Fundamental Rights of the Citizens of India, from article 12 to article 35. plus four articles more. Amongst the fundamental rights of the citizens of the Indian union, we have the cultural and educational Fundamental Rights of the Citizens under article 29 of the Indian constitution as quoted above by the writer.

Please read carefully of the art. 29 of the constitution as quoted above or from a printed book (constitution). Under this art. 29 of the constitution, the right of the citizens of India for conservation of their "language, script, or culture" is Fundamental under the constitution, and absolute as worded by the constitution of india, that is, the constitution keeps no conditions for the conservation. What the citizens require, is only to prove the distinctness of the "Language, Script or culture of its own" of the citizens. This is too clear under art. 29(1) of the constitution of India.

Please compare this art. 29 with art. 19-freedom of speech and expression having conditions or conditional. Under this art. 29 of the constitution, not only conservation of language, scripts or culture of the citizens, admission to education institutions under the government is also fundamental rights. Along with these Fundamental Rights, Minority citizens of India have the Fundamental Rights to extablish educational institutions of their choice and to administer them under art. 30 of the constitution. Under this art. 29 of Indian constitution, the Nationalist Kangleichas may take the option to go to the Law court to check-mate the Government and its Henchmen.

This is the Most Appropriate Course of Actions for the Nationalist Kangleichas to Save the Future Kangleichas. For the Meetei Mayek Expert Committe and its decisions, etc. please see Naharol Thoudang-26/3/03, Mannaba � 4/9/04, 6/9/04, 7/9/04 Huiyen Lanpao � 25/9/08 and Extraordinary Manipur Gazette, dt. April 22, 1980.