TMB Report
Imphal: Rajya Sabha MP and titular King Leishemba Sanajaoba has urged the Central Government to allow to include Manipuri Literature in both Meitei Mayek and Bengali script as one
of the optional papers of civil services examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The MP put up the matter on Wednesday during the ongoing Parliament session as special motion.
Sanajaoba said that the State has been using Bengali script for quite a long time but Meitei Mayek has been included in school education since 2006 with the objective of preserving and
promoting the age-old script.
He observed that the State has produced students who had completed Manipuri literature in Meitei Mayek script. As such, UPSC just allowing to include Manipuri Literature as optional
subject in Bengali script shatters the dream of many UPSC aspirants from the State, he added.
The MP also opined that there is a need to change the rule of UPSC just allowing to appear Manipuri Literature as an optional subject of civil service examination in Bengali script.
He said that many students’ organisations of the State had urged the State Government to take up necessary steps in this regard.
Therefore, leader of the House should consider inclusion of Meitei Mayek script in UPSC main examination apart from the Bengali script as a matter of serious concern and address the
grievances of UPSC aspirants, Sanajaoba said while drawing the attention of the House.
It may be mentioned that Meitei Mayek is one of the 22 official languages of India and one of the official scripts of the Indian Republic. Its earliest known evidence of existence dates back
to the 6th century AD coins, engraving the Meitei letters, as verified by the various publications of the National Sahitya Akademi. It was used until the 18th century, when it was replaced by the Bengali alphabet. A few manuscripts
survive. In the 20th century, the script has experienced a resurgence, and is again being used.
Starting from the year 2021, Meitei script (officially known as Meetei Mayek) was officially used by the Government of Manipur, along with the Bengali- Assamese script, to write the
Meitei language, as per “The Manipur Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2021.
