Manipuri examinees happy to write in mother tongue

FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

IMPHAL March  12: For the first time the students appearing in high school leaving certificate examition could write their answers in the Manipuri subject in the Manipuri script. Official sources said that gradually students of 12th class and graduates shall be able to use it. Altogether 13,026 students used this script in their answer papers.

Manipur is a proud state of having its own script since time immemorial. However in the 18th century the script was relaced by the Bengali script at the behest of the Hindu missiories. However the facts are that the Manipuris cannot pronounce several Bengali alphabets and the Manipuri language has no use for many alphabets. For a long time the script enthusiasts have been striving for the revival of the script although some powerful sections were not happy and they had used all tricks to sabotage the campaign. One of the tricks used by these elements to claim that there are several sets of scripts. This was intended to confuse and compound. However the government chose the genuine one and recognised it as the official script.

It is very much on the cards that the Bengali script will become a thing of the past. As things stand now students up to class ten today cannot read or write the Bengali script. Far sighted newspaper owners had started publishing Manipuri script editions and English editions since they realise that sooner than later their Bengali script newspapers will have no demand.