Imphal, Aug 07: Giving a brief history of how the 27 letter Meitei Mayek came to be widely accepted as the indigenous script of the people, the proscribed KYKL said that numerous meetings, discussions and debates were held during the last many years and in all these instances, there was none to negate the 27 letter script.

This is the precise reason, why the Government accepted the 27 letter script as the indigenous script of the people.

In a statement, general secretary of the outfit, N Oken said that after the Government adopted the 27 letter script in 2005, MEELAL launched a drive this year to blacken all sign boards which did not carry the Meitei Mayek.

During the drive, MEELAL activists pulled down the sign board of a shop owned by the son of the former secretary of Meitei Yelhou Mayek Inat Sandokpa Lup (MYMISAL).

This gave rise to a series of developments and protagonists of other Meitei Mayek started opposing the 27 letter script which has been approved, said the statement.

This led to an exchange of words and debates between the supporters of the 27 letter script and others.

The ongoing debate raging over the usage of the indigenous script gave way to a rumour that New Delhi is likely to instruct the State Government to discard Meitei Mayek and replace it with Bengali script.

To clear the scenario it is important to refer to the history of the movement to revive Meitei Mayek, said Oken in the statement.

From 1958 a strong movement started gaining ground to revive the indigenous script.

On March 13, 1958, a meeting attended by scholars and learned people was held at the office of the Manipur Motor Association wherein an organisation called the Mayek Luptin Committee was formed.

The Committee was headed by former District Sessions Judge L Ibungohal as chairman and Thokchom Thokachanba as secretary, said the statement.

Seventeen other well known scholars were also included in the Committee.

For one whole year, the Committee organised numerous meetings to discuss the revival of the indigenous script, said the KYKL leader adding that one public meeting was also held at Aryan Theatre.

A sub-committee recommended the introduction of the 18 letter script and to include another 9 letter.

The alphabets were to be studied as Kok, Sam, Lai..which is similar to the present 27 letter script.

The 27 letter script was also known as Mayek 27 Luptin, said the KYKL leader.

Ten years later a huge Mayek conference was held from February 12, 1969 to July 27, 1969 at Mapal Kangjeibung, recalled the statement.

Sixty four Judges, 20 delegates, 20 scholars and representatives of 28 organisations attended the meeting.

A meeting held on November 9, 1969 was attended by the then MP M Meghachandra as the chief guest with M Radhamohan as the president, said the outfit and added that a decision was taken which read as "The majority of Judges had accepted on Sunday, the 9th November, 1969 at 10 am the 18 letter alphabet as is found in the Puya, 'Wakolen Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok' as original, true and genuine Meetei alphabet and had agreed to recommend it as Meetei national alphabet." The 1969 conference hence adopted the 27 letter script and accordingly submitted its recommendation to the Government.

The conferences of both 1958 and 1969 discussed the different schools of Meitei Mayek and the alphabets which were discussed included the Naoriya Mayek, Mayek 46, Mayek 48, Mayek 42, Mayek 36, Mayek 35, Mayek 27, Mayek 18, Mayek 16 and Mayek 25, said KYKL.

The two conferences agreed to adopt the 27 letter alphabets.

On September 11, 1976, the Progressive Writers' Association organised a meeting to discuss the Mayek issue at GM Hall.

The meeting stretched on for two months.

During the meeting, N Mohen presented a paper on behalf of the Naoriya script which was supported by Prof Khomei and M Munal.

N Khelchandra, W Tomchou, Kh Gopal, CH Iboyaima read out papers supporting the 36 letter script.

At this conference, Prof Kangiya presented papers with reference to "Wakaklon Thilel Amailon Singkak," "Eyek Chakpalon," "Khamwoi Yangwi Sekning," "Wachetlon Pathup," 'Wakoklon Ngasapaki Singkak," "Kanglei Paphal," "Wakoklon Thilel Salai Amailon," and other references to the Puya, said the statement.

Other than the proponents of the 27 letter script, none of the others could make a reference to the Puya.

Thus the conference endorsed the 27 letter script on November 13, 1976.

Comment