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IMPHAL, SEP 6: The Council of Tribal Languages and Literature Societies, Manipur (CTLLSM) has expressed great happiness and “feels truly heartening to know that the Government of India has allocated a fund of Rs.18 crore as the first instalment for conservation and promotion of Meiteilon (Manipuri)”. The CTLLSM expressed hope that it will be a boon to boost the efforts to elevate the Meiteilon (Manipuri) to the status of a classical language sooner.
The Council of Tribal Languages and Literature Societies, Manipur (CTLLSM) represents the 35 tribal languages out of the total 37 languages in Manipur and it stands for unity and integrity of Manipur and remains in solidarity with the State Government, it informed.
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“Meiteilon, commonly known as Manipuri, is the official language, the lingua franca and most widely spoken language of Manipur and one of the 22 Scheduled Languages of India and we all are proud of the language,” CTLLSM chairman Ragongning Gangmei said in a statement today.
“Meiteilon (Manipuri) is the closest neighbouring language towering above the tribal languages of Manipur with many similarities in the meanings of words, structures of sentences and grammatical systems unlike that of English language. And we are optimistic and hopeful that the Meiteilon (Manipuri) shall be a guiding principal language for the upliftment of all the tribal languages of the state”, the CTLLSM added.
It then said, “Our heartfelt thanks go to the Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri N.Biren Singh and also our special thanks to Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba, MP, who is relentlessly making efforts for promotion of the Meiteilon (Manipuri). Manipur Chief Minister Shi N.Biren Singh and Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba, MP, truly deserve appreciation from all,” it lauded.
It then mentioned that under the “dynamic leadership and special initiative of the Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri N.Biren Singh, two Manipur language programmes were implemented. They are – 8 languages (1 Meiteilon and 7 tribal languages) were taught to people of non-speakers of these 8 languages to promote inter-community communicative relationship among the linguistic communities of Manipur; and compilation of one merged dictionary of 20 languages (English, Manipuri and 18 approved tribal languages of Manipur)”.
This will help the linguistic communities to search and check each other’s languages, especially words, at a fingertip and boost the closeness of the inter-community relationship of the people of Manipur, the CTLLSM also said. “In short, the two language projects, first of the kinds, are fairly intended to promote mutual understanding and communal harmony among the communities and to strengthen the tie of State integrity through the State’s languages. Hats off to Shri N.Biren Singh, Hon’ble Chief Minister,” it added.
The CTLLSM then said Manipur is a beautiful multilingual state. Besides Meiteilon (Manipuri), there are 35 tribal languages. Since the inception of the state, the State Government had a “beautiful mind” for promotion of tribal languages of the state since the Union Territory period, it also said. With this objective in mind, the State Government had approved 18 tribal languages, one by one, out of the 35 tribes over the decades for introduction in the school education system as mother tongues, the council further said. All the approved 18 tribal languages have been introduced in the education system and many of them have been now taught upto class XII and some upto undergraduate level. “For all these we are extending our heartfelt gratitude to the State Government of Manipur. These languages are the fabrics of State integrity. They are the riches of the state and the beauty of the state’s integrity and we have to promote them in the ages to come,” it added.
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The council then said there are certain serious sad facts about tribal languages in Manipur which are damaging the fabric of Manipur integrity. “Here lies the crux of the grievances faced by the tribal languages. When these languages are approved, necessary funds are supposed to be allocated under plan, non-plan, recurring and nonrecurring and responsibility fixed to certain department(s) for development and continuation of these mother tongues in the school education system. But neither fund was allocated at all for them nor responsibility was fixed at the time of approval of these languages. So, the literature societies of tribal languages are running from pillar to post seeking financial support for development and printing of school text books of their mother tongues education every year till today,” it rued. The grievances faced by the tribal languages had been brought to the notice of the State Government several times since the past many years by the Council of Tribal Languages, Manipur (CTLLSM), it stated.
The council also said the crux of the issue is that the state patronage to the tribal languages could not be completed because of the incomplete orders of approval of the languages by the Education Department. “Neither relook or review of the orders were done by the concerned department nor by the State Government. The successive State Governments of the past and present neither heard nor heed to the genuine pleas of the tribal linguistic communities. In the long run, tribal languages of Manipur become ‘endangered’ without State’s budgetary support and state apathy of tribal languages in Manipur largely manifested,” it further lamented. So the approved 18 tribal languages of Manipur are facing financial difficulties every year for developing, standardizing and printing their school textbooks since the inception, the council also said. “Indeed, tribal languages need state patronage. Without the state patronage no language can survive,” it further added.
The CTLLSM then said the University Grant Commission and the NCERT are vigorously promoting the New Education Policy (NEP). Promotion of education with mother tongues at the primary, high and higher secondary levels is also a part of the national New Education Policy, the council also said. “In this connection, approving tribal languages to promote mother tongue education without budgetary allocation of funds is unimaginable and in contrast to the national New Education Policy(NEP).”It tantamounts to keeping the tribal languages to a bonsai system without water supply,” it added.
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It is mandatory for both the Education Department and the Government of Manipur to provide adequate funds for promotion of “mother tongue education” of the tribal languages so that the children of tribal linguistic communities be taught smoothly in every institution in near future, the council said. “But it is not done in Manipur. Both the State Government and the Department of Education do not have the burden nor responsibility for tribal languages,” it alleged.
The council then appealed to the Chief Minister and “his trusted government kindly to revisit (i) the orders of approval of tribal languages, (ii) non-allocation of fund for tribal languages in the State Budget and also (iii) the ground situations of difficulties and grievances faced by the 18 approved tribal languages for production of school text books of their mother tongue education due to non-allocation of fund in the State Budget”.
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