The Meetei Erol.Eyek Loinasillou Apunba Lup (MEELAL) on Sunday expressed strong opposition to the Union government's decision to make Hindi language complusory in schools across Northeast. It raised its charter of demands to the state government for the revival of Manipuri language and its script.
During the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee held recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had informed that all the Northeast states have agreed to make Hindi compulsory in schools up to class X.
The legislators of Manipur should stand against the Centre's move to make Hindi a compulsory language and take up necessary steps for the development of Manipuri language if they are the true blood of Manipur, said a release issued by MEELAL general secretary Huirem Loikhomba Meetei.
"The one nation, one language, one religion ideology of the BJP cannot be implemented throughout the country, especially in Manipur which has a unique history of over 5,000 years," it said.
The state government should take up initiative to make Manipuri language an official language of the state and make it utilise in all government documents under the Manipur Official Language Act 1979 amended on March 4, 2021, the release stated.
The MEELAL also demanded the state government to take initiative to introduce an updated dictionary and encyclopedia of Manipuri language, to translate all the books into Meetei Mayek. It is clearly mentioned in the NEP, 2020 that classes should be conducted in Manipuri language till class VIII to preserve indigenous language, it said, adding the Centre is trying to forcefully implement Hindi.
MEELAL, with its like-minded organisation, is all set to take up steps to monitor whether classes till class VIII are conducted in Manipuri language and all the text books are written in Meetei Mayek, except for the language subject, it mentioned.
To bring revivalism of the Manipuri language and to protect from any forms of supressing elements, the release appealed to all the people of Manipur to remain united.
The release also informed that the directorate of Language Planning and Implementation along with civil bodies organise an event to teach Meitei Mayek to all the Manipuri people, including those Manipuris settled in Assam.
