The Wakhallon Mannaba Apunba (WAMA), Kangleipak has urged the state government to make a concrete effort for recognition of Manipuri (Meiteilon) as one of the classical languages of India.
Following the proposal for recognition of Manipuri as classical language by Rajya Sabha MP Leishamba Sanajaoba during the winter session of Parliament in 2020, the Centre has given nod to enlist Manipuri among the classical languages, president of WAMA M Naokhamba informed the media on Wednesday in Imphal.
He pointed out that the Manipuri language has met all the criteria given by the Union government for getting the status of classical language.
Unfortunately the Language Department which became a full-fledged department in 2013 has not taken up any concrete effort for the inclusion of Manipuri among the classical languages, he added.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has been taking up full initiatives to make Marathi as the 7th classical language of India, he said adding, “Such effort of the Maharashtra government should bring shame to the Language department of the Manipur government which has been neglecting their works.”
Getting classical language status will be a big initiative for protection and preservation of the original Manipuri language used by the fore-fathers, said the president.
He also mentioned that Leishamba Sanajaoba, who is also the titular king of Manipur, during a meeting with the WAMA, had expressed profound dissatisfaction against the Language department for the negligence in the documentation works for inclusion of Manipuri among the classical languages.
Such negligence on the part of the Language department will make the efforts of MP Sanajaoba (who raised his voice in the Rajya Sabha) go in vain, said Naokhamba.
Asking the state government to change the present director of Language department Chitra as she is unfit to be the director for her negligence act, the president cautioned to take up various forms of agitations if the state government fails to take up concrete steps for the inclusion of Manipuri among the classical languages.
