‘Replace Bengali script with Meetei Mayek’

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Aug 20: The Meetei Erol Eyek Loinashillol Apunba Lup (MEELAL) today reiterated its demand to replace Bengali script with Meetei Mayek in Manipuri books and other official uses.     
MEELAL in a release said Manipuri language was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution on August 20, 1992. MEELAL today celebrated the day with a simple function at its office at Independence Market and held a meeting where it was resolved to reiterate their demands to the Government. 
MEELAL demanded replacement of ‘Manipuri language written in Bengali script’ to Meetei Mayek mentioned in the 1979 Official Language Act,
State Government should take up steps to teach Manipuri with Meetei Mayek to Manipuri diasporas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc, in order to update themselves with the current trends of the State, it further said.
The State Government should also approach the Assam Government regarding the demands of the Manipuri diaspora in Assam, it continued. 
The State Language Directorate should be reformed with more funding and Manipuri books written in Bengali scripts should be replaced by Meetei Mayek, it said.
A Puya Neina-Loishang should be established in order to research more about the ‘Puya’ to find out about the ancient Manipuri ways, it said.
MEELAL further demanded the State Government to put more effort into the process of recognising Manipuri language as a classical language. Manipuri language written in Meetei Mayek should be included in the currency notes, it added.