Imphal, July 19 2009: President of Meetei Erol Eyek Loinashillon Apunba Lup (MEELal), Ngaseppam Yumjao today expressed serious concern over "almost 50% replacement of Manipuri words by English words".

In an exclusive interview, Ngaseppam Yumjao told this newspaper said that the lingua franca of the state, Meeteilon also known as Manipuri has been inccreasingly mixed with English language to the lelvel of almost 50% day by day.

He said, since the parents were interested in sending their children to English medium schools so that they would learn English language, the influence of English language has become deeply rooted in the mindset of the students.

Giving an example, the president of MEELAL said, since the olden days of our forefathers, we have been using the word of gate of our homes as Konthong.

But today the word Konthong has disappeared, and it has been replaced with the English word "gate." The present day children do not know that the word Konthong is their mother-tongue, he said.

Yumjao also pointed out the word Amangshang and said that the younger generation of today use the English word "latrine" only in place of Amangshang.

Thus, the Meeteilon is losing its vocabulary day by day, Yumjao lamented.

A community, of which language and script are slowly disappearing, is a community that is also slowly vanishing, Yumjao said adding that even though the script is being studied as part of the syllabus in the schools, we need to protect the language and script properly.

Even in the highest centre of education in the state, which is Manipur University, the number of students who come for studies in Manipuri department has gone down considerably this year, Yumjao said.

But the number of students who want to study English is very high.

Therefore it high time experts and intellectuals of Manipur got together and discussed the issue which is a matter of serious concern, the MEELAL president opined.

In this regard, MEELAL joined hands with Kangleipak Loinashillon Apunba Lup (KALAM) and Manipuri Language and Literature Development Forum, Manipur University and formed a body called Maheiroishingda Meeteilon Tamhannaba Apunba Takshin Lup.

The body will organise a two-day seminar on the same theme on August 27 and 28 at GM hall here.

Teachers of MU and Colleges and many eminent personalities are expected to take part in the seminar.

Certain resolutions will be taken by the seminar which will be implemented, he said.

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