GoM, MoS ask SCERT to rectify folly on Mukna-Kangjei
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 29 2024: The state government and union minister of state for education RK Ranjan wrote to State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), New Delhi for rectification of misattributing Manipuri traditional game Mukna-Kangjei to Mizoram in a book published by SCERT, New Delhi.

The SCERT's book Learning Through Traditional Games' published by District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) falsely ascribed Mukna-Kangjei to Mizoram on Page 24 of the 88-page book.

On Sunday, the Education (S) Department Physical Education Teachers' Association in Imphal expressed strong disapproval towards SCERT, New Delhi for the misattribution, stating that such a mistake not only created huge uproar on social media but provoked the people to the extent of demanding that the state government take up immediate necessary action to rectify the error.

Consequently, education (S) commissioner H Gyan Prakash, on Monday, wrote to the director of SCERT, New Delhi requesting to rectify the mistake.

In his letter, the commissioner specified that the misattribution has created an uproar in the state and the government is receiving numerous complaints.

The same has been published widely in local and national media, the letter pointed out while asking SCERT, New Delhi to recall all copies of the book and republish the same after necessary rectification.

At the same time, union MoS for education, Dr RK Ranjan has issued a statement regarding the misattribution and asked SCERT, New Delhi officials to rectify the mistake.

"This, being a serious issue, the matter may be enquired into to ascertain and furnishing the factual position at the earliest.

If the mistakes pointed out in the media reports are found to be correct, authorities concerned may be directed to carry out the required corrections in the textbook at the earliest," the union MoS said in his statement.

Meanwhile, speaking to The People's Chronicle over the phone, Dr Ranjan informed that such factual errors are often found in publications of NCERT.

As for the matter in question, he found that the SCERT book misattributed Mukna-Kangjei to Mizoram but at the same time, gives a true narration of the origin of the traditional game dating back to King Kangba of Manipur.

Despite the true narration of the origin, the misattribution to Mizoram in the title of the chapter is unacceptable, he said.

The minister further said that he had also come across an NCERT book inserting wrong photos of Shirui Lily in a chapter on the state flower of Manipur.

It is concerning that books published in Delhi often make such mistakes to facts of Manipur.

He stressed the need for consulting the state officials concerned while publishing such books.

He also informed that he had asked SCERT to rectify the mistake with caution for avoiding such mistakes in future.

Taking to X, BJP MLA RK Imo said, "Mukna-Kangjei is a traditional sport of Manipur, a variant of hockey and involves wrestling too, thus known as wrestling-hockey.

SCERT has made a gross error by publishing the association of this traditional sport with Mizoram.

It is purely a traditional sport of the state of Manipur.

SCERT needs to rectify this mistake immediately" .

Meanwhile, PTI quoted officials as saying that they had "taken note of the issue and are looking into it" .

"It seems a genuine typing error as the contents of the chapter attributes the sport to' Manipur and its history", an official said.

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