Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 28 2010:
The '31st Archives Week Celebration cum Record Exhibition' has been inaugurated by the Art and Culture Minister Ph Parijat at the Keishampat office complex of Manipur State Archives today.
Former Minister Gangmumei Kamei and Director (Art & Culture) K Sobita Devi graced the inaugural programme of the four day event as president and guest of honour respectively.
As chief guest of the occasion, Parijat also released a compilation of seminar papers (Vol VI & VII) .
moreover, Dr M Kirti, who donated private collection of archival records and books along with N Indramani donor of manuscripts to Manipur State Archives spoke on the occasion as special invitees.
While noting that the Archives Department has an important role to play in not only preservation of invaluable and rare literary works, Minister Parijat strongly suggested that the Department needs to conduct exhibition on a yearly basis at the least in order to make the public aware of its existence and significance.
He also desired that writers/litterateurs visit historically important places such as Thoubal, Mayang Imphal and Moirang to collect information and activities of erstwhile rulers of Manipur for recording important events in book or documentary forms.
Stressing on the need for updating records in a systematic manner through usage of modern technology, Parijat expressed concern that leniency in maintaining vital information, particularly land records, would prove costly in case such records get destroyed due to unwanted incidents.
In her address, K Sobita Devi informed that Archives Department is preserving literary works and records dating back to 1920 and 1950 .
While conveying that literary works of other scholars, who arrived in Manipur during the reigns of Manipuri kings are also being preserved in the State Archives Department, she called upon researchers and local scholars to contribute their mite in the growth of the Department.