ANBA appeals against disturbing Naga shopkeepers
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 27 2024: All Naga Business Association, Imphal (ANBA-Imphal) has appealed to all concerned parties to stop unnecessary pressuring and disturbing Naga shopkeepers operating in Imphal.

In a press release issued on Saturday, ANBA informed that the Association has received numerous reports from Naga shopkeepers operating in Imphal stating that some executive members of Meetei Erol Eyek Loinasillol Apunba Lup (MEELAL) have approached them, demanding to know why the Meetei Mayek script is not mentioned or written on their signboards.

Furthermore, MEELAL executive members have been summoning these shopkeepers to their office for not including the Meetei Mayek script on their signboards.

It continued that while India recognises many official local languages and scripts from various states, as included in the Eighth Schedule of Constitution of India, neither the state government nor the central government, nor any civil society organizations (CSOs) have imposed any language or script as compulsory.

Such actions by MEELAL are arbitrary, unconstitutional, and amount to mental harassment, which is against the law of the land, it contended.

"Under which act or laws is it mandated to compulsorily write, mention, or add any particular language script on signboards, advertisements, or banners?" it questioned.

As such, ANBA-Imphal appealed to all concerned parties to stop the unnecessary pressure and disturbance of Naga shopkeepers operating in Imphal.

Such actions could lead to misunderstandings and communal tensions among the various communities living in Manipur, it cautioned.

The Association then urged the chief minister for immediate intervention to address the critical situation in Manipur.

It is imperative to take necessary measures to ensure the effective enforcement of law and order, creating a secure and free environment for all residents, ANBA-Imphal asserted.

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