Imphal, April 15: Setting April 17 as the deadline for the Imphal PTI correspondent Tarapot Phanjoubam to either provide evidences or tender a public apology for the misleading report filed by him and published by The Sangai Express on April 13, the proscribed KYKL today said that failure to do either one of the two will invite stern punishment.

The PTI correspondent had reported, �Outlawed Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) have in separate statements demanded introduction of Manipuri script in the educational institutions from this academic year�.

In a statement, the outfit said that such report is misleading for KYKL had never said that Meetei Mayek should be introduced from this academic session.

On August 20, 2003, KYKL had issued a statement whereby it stated that the tussle over the number of letters of the indigenous script should be kept aside and the job at hand was to adopt the script recognised by the State Government.

The differences can always be worked out later and addition and deletion of letters may be done as per the need, the outfit had stated.

The outfit recalled that the August 20, 2003 statement had also spelt out the recent history of the script of the Bodo community and recalled that it switched from Assamese (1964-1974) to Devnagiri (1974-1993) and then changed to Roman script in 1993.Then when attempts were made to revert to the Devnagiri script, NDFB shot dead the proponent of the new move, the then Chairman of Boro Sahitya Sabha Bineshwar Boro on August 19, 2000.Not only this statement, but also in the November issue of Meihum Morok (a newsletter of the KYKL), the outfit had spelt out its stand and views on Meetei Mayek, added KYKL.

These facts amply testify that the report of Tarapot which linked KYKL with the movement launched by MEELAL is totally wrong.

The PTI report which involves the KYKL in the agitation launched by MEELAL is totally wrong and baseless, said the statement and questioned the agenda and motive of the PTI correspondent.

The report was nothing but aimed to tarnish the image of KYKL and to smear the campaign launched to promote Meetei Mayek, said the statement and asked Tarapot to either produce evidences to support his report or apologise to the people of Manipur by April 17.Failure to do so will invite stern punishment, warned the outfit.

On the present demand to implement Meetei Mayek, KYKL said that amongst the people speaking the Tibeto-Burman language in the sub-Himalayan region, only the Meiteis have their own indigenous script.

Script, language, tradition, religion etc are all barometers of civilisation and as such it should be the duty of all to promote and preserve their heritage, said the statement.

The task of developing our script will not be taken up by the Assamese, the Tripuri or the Chinese but should be taken up by the Manipuri people, observed the outfit.

However the tragedy is, the people of Manipur have discarded their own script and are relying on an imported script.

The issue of using one's own script should not be clouded by such mundane arguments as the timing, that it will sow seeds of discord between the hill and valley people, that it is the job of the Government or MEELAL etc, reasoned KYKL.

Even those who are championing the cause of Meetei Mayek should realise that arguments and petty differences reflect that they really do not love the script but have taken up the cause for their own personal gains, said KYKL.

The Manipur Sahitya Parishad too has failed to develop the Manipuri language, said KYKL and recalled that even the Boro Sahitya Sabha took up cause of the Boro script.

On April 22, 1974 the Boro Sahitya Sabha held a meeting at Tezpur and decided to adopt the Roman script.

To implement the decision, the BSS along with ABSU took out a rally on September 27 and in police crackdown 15 persons lost their lives while many were injured and jailed, recalled KYKL.

Likewise the Manipur Sahitya Parishad can take such a role as the one taken by the Boro Sahitya Sabha.

On the contention that the implementation of Meetei Mayek will drive a wedge between the hill and valley people, KYKL said such arguments betray lack of knowledge of the reality.

The hill and valley people have been separated for quite a long time now and the indigenous script will have nothing to do with the relationship between the two peoples, it added.

If the people had been united then the voice of opposition from the hills would no have arisen, it added.

Though all the people share a common origin and have been living together, deep differences have cropped up today because the people are living under an alien rule.

The politics of the majority Meiteis too have played a part in creating the differences between different people, said KYKL.

As such not letting the hill people learn Meetei Mayek is going to bring the people closer, said KYKL and added that the people can come together as one only when the alien rule is uprooted.

However despite this the fact stands that Meetei language will continue to be the lingua franca of the State.

Without Meetei language there can be communication between the people, said KYKL and added that Nagamese which is a mixture of Hindi, Bengali, Assamese and English is not understood by 50 percent of the Naga people.

Despite the deep rooted differences the reality of the geo-politics means that the people will have to interact economically, have common problems and challenges which will lead to exchange and interaction, observed KYKL.

For this a common language is need that is Meetei language.

It is not the time to argue over such petty matters as the timing of introducing the script is right or wrong, said KYKL and urged all to learn the indigenous script.

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