Imphal, March 21: Even as a private member Bill to adopt the Manipur Official Language (Amendment Bill, 2005) moved by Dr Nimaichand Luwang was defeated by a voice vote in the Assembly, 12 members of DESAM were arrested earlier in the day for staging court arrest in pursuance of their demand to implement Meetei Mayek from this year. After a marathon debate stretching late into the night, the Bill moved by Dr Luwang was defeated by a voice vote.

After Dr Nimaichand Luwang moved the private member Bill, Chief Minister O Ibobi made it clear that though the SPF Government is not against Meetei Mayek, the reality is such that the script has to be introduced gradually. Reasoning, the Chief Minister said that if the Bill is passed now, then it will mean that Meetei Mayek will have to be introduced from the primary level upto the university level from the next academic session.

This is not practical, observed the Chief Minister and appealed to Dr Nimaichand Luwang to withdraw his Bill. Appealing for good sense to prevail, the Chief Minister said that the problems that will be faced need to be discussed thoroughly first before such a Bill is passed. Ibobi added that the legal tussle over the number of letters of the script has made it all that more difficult for the Mayek to grace the currency notes. Despite the appeal from the Chief Minister, Dr Luwang refused to budge and even said that the SPF Govt is not ready to promote and develop the indigenous script. A number of political leaders including RK Dorendra, L Ibomcha, S Ibohal, O Joy, Thangso Baite, L Lala, Dr Nara and Works Minister Th Debendra took part in the discussion. Earlier in the day State security forces arrested twelve DESAM volunteers for trying to stage a mass court arrest at Mapal Kang-jeibung this afternoon at around 1.30. Despite the deployment of a large contingent of Manipur Rifles personnel in and around Mapal Kangjei-bung, twelve volunteers of DESAM sneaked into Ma-pal Kangjeibung thro-ugh the Kangjeibung Mela Gro-und and tried to stage a ma- ss court arrest.

However, security personnel deployed nearby immediately swooped in and arrested the DESAM volunteers.

The arrested protesters were later made to stand in line in front of the State Museum and thrashed by the security personnel. The DESAM volunteers who were arrested by the security personnel includ-ed L Romesh (president DESAM) Y Ratan Kumar (Asst Gen Secy), S Jina Cha-nu, Sh Sulochana Chanu, W Hitler Meetei, Aribam Md Kabir, Khullapam Saphau-ddin, Oinam Deepak, W Rorrkychand, Y Joy Meetei, RK Winner and H Mang-lem.

Mention may be made here that DESAM had declared that it would launch a mass court arrest in a phase wise manner at Pologround from today as a mark of protest against the State Government's indifferent attitude towards the demand to implement Meetei Mayek from this year.