The
social movement
A social movement is a loosely organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a social or political one. This may be to carry out a social change, or to resist or undo one. It is a type of group action and m ...
of
Meitei language (officially known as
Manipuri language
Meitei (), also known as Manipuri (, ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of north-eastern India. It is spoken by around 1.8 million people, predominantly in the state of Manipur, but also by smaller communities in the rest of the country and in pa ...
) to be included as an associate official language of the
Government of Assam
The Government of Assam is the subnational government of Assam, a state of India. It consists of the Governor appointed by the President of India as the head of the state, currently Jagdish Mukhi. The head of government is the Chief Minis ...
is advocated by several literary, political, social associations and organisations as well as notable individual personalities of
Northeast India
, native_name_lang = mni
, settlement_type =
, image_skyline =
, image_alt =
, image_caption =
, motto =
, image_map = Northeast india.png
, ...
(predominantly from
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
,
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a States and territories of India, state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It ...
and
Tripura
Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the eas ...
).
During November 2021, the
Government of Assam
The Government of Assam is the subnational government of Assam, a state of India. It consists of the Governor appointed by the President of India as the head of the state, currently Jagdish Mukhi. The head of government is the Chief Minis ...
declared the removal of
mandatoriness of any particular language in the job recruitment exams conducted by the
Assam Public Service Commission
The Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) (Assamese: অসম লোকসেৱা আয়োগ) is a state recruitment agency for recruitment of Group 'A' officers and Group 'B' officers for the Government of Assam and all '' state gove ...
(APSC).
Background
On 8 October 2020,
Sarbananda Sonowal
Sarbananda Sonowal (Assamese: সৰ্বানন্দ সোণোৱাল / IPA: xɔɹbanɔndɔ xʊnʊwal; born 31 October 1962) is an Indian politician from Assam who is the current Cabinet Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and ...
, the then
Chief Minister of Assam
The chief minister of Assam, an Indian state, is the head of the Government of Assam. As per the Constitution of India, the governor is the state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Following el ...
, declared an announcement that the aspirants of the civil services from the
Barak Valley
The Barak Valley is located in the southern region of the Indian state of Assam. The region is named after the Barak river. The Barak valley consists of three administrative districts of Assam - namely Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi. T ...
who do not study either
Assamese
Assamese may refer to:
* Assamese people, a socio-ethnolinguistic identity of north-eastern India
* People of Assam, multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious people of Assam
* Assamese language, one of the easternmost Indo-Aryan language ...
,
Bodo Bodo may refer to:
Ethnicity
* Boro people, an ethno-linguistic group mainly from Northwest Assam, India
* Bodo-Kachari people, an umbrella group from Nepal, India and Bangladesh that includes the Bodo people
Culture and language
* Boro cu ...
or
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the ...
languages will not be allowed to appear in the qualifying language paper in the exams conducted by the
Assam Public Service Commission
The Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) (Assamese: অসম লোকসেৱা আয়োগ) is a state recruitment agency for recruitment of Group 'A' officers and Group 'B' officers for the Government of Assam and all '' state gove ...
(APSC) CEE.
The job recruitments conducted by the
Assam Public Service Commission
The Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) (Assamese: অসম লোকসেৱা আয়োগ) is a state recruitment agency for recruitment of Group 'A' officers and Group 'B' officers for the Government of Assam and all '' state gove ...
(APSC) of the
Government of Assam
The Government of Assam is the subnational government of Assam, a state of India. It consists of the Governor appointed by the President of India as the head of the state, currently Jagdish Mukhi. The head of government is the Chief Minis ...
has made it mandatory for all the candidates to appear job exams only in
Assamese
Assamese may refer to:
* Assamese people, a socio-ethnolinguistic identity of north-eastern India
* People of Assam, multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious people of Assam
* Assamese language, one of the easternmost Indo-Aryan language ...
,
Bodo Bodo may refer to:
Ethnicity
* Boro people, an ethno-linguistic group mainly from Northwest Assam, India
* Bodo-Kachari people, an umbrella group from Nepal, India and Bangladesh that includes the Bodo people
Culture and language
* Boro cu ...
or
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the ...
''without providing any alternative language'' for people who studied in other languages like
Meitei language in
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
, starting from primary level to above.
As some languages are made mandatory in the academics of Assam while
Meitei language is not, in the near future, the disappearance of
Meitei language in Assam will be the nearest possible outcome because students who do not choose the option for the mandatory languages in their educational careers are not allowed to appear in many Assam state government jobs. Due to such a law imposed by the
Government of Assam
The Government of Assam is the subnational government of Assam, a state of India. It consists of the Governor appointed by the President of India as the head of the state, currently Jagdish Mukhi. The head of government is the Chief Minis ...
, many students have hesitantly denied
Meitei language medium in
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
.
Efforts of socio-political leaders
During September 2020,
Leishemba Sanajaoba
Maharaja Leishemba Sanajaoba is the current titular king of Manipur, India, and a politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party from Manipur. In 2020, he was elected as the member of Rajya Sabha from Manipur.
Debates on bills
Leish ...
, a
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha, wikisource:Constitution of India/Part V#Article 80, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legisl ...
MP of
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a States and territories of India, state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It ...
, urged
Sarbananda Sonowal
Sarbananda Sonowal (Assamese: সৰ্বানন্দ সোণোৱাল / IPA: xɔɹbanɔndɔ xʊnʊwal; born 31 October 1962) is an Indian politician from Assam who is the current Cabinet Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and ...
, the then
Chief Minister of Assam
The chief minister of Assam, an Indian state, is the head of the Government of Assam. As per the Constitution of India, the governor is the state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Following el ...
, for the recognition of
Meitei language as an 'associate' official language of
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
. According to him, with the recognition of
Meitei language as an associate official language, the identity, history, culture and tradition of
Manipuris residing in
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
could be protected and preserved. Earlier,
Nongthombam Biren Singh
Nongthombam Biren Singh ( Meitei pronunciation: /nōng-thōm-bam bī-ren sīng/; born 1 January 1961) is an Indian politician, former footballer and journalist, who is currently serving as the Chief Minister of Manipur for the second term sin ...
, the
Chief Minister of Manipur
The chief minister of Manipur is the chief executive of the Indian state of Manipur. As per the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's '' de jure'' head, but '' de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Follo ...
, had discussed with the Chief Minister of
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
, about the matter on the inclusion of
Meitei language in the list of subjects in the examinations conducted by
Assam Public Service Commission
The Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) (Assamese: অসম লোকসেৱা আয়োগ) is a state recruitment agency for recruitment of Group 'A' officers and Group 'B' officers for the Government of Assam and all '' state gove ...
(APSC).
During December 2020,
Rajkumar Ranjan Singh
Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, also known as R. K. Ranjan Singh, is an Indian politician and Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha representing the Inner Manipur constituency of Manipur. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Currently Singh is the M ...
, a
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...
of
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-pas ...
, sought attention of the House for the recognition of
Meitei language as an associate official language of Assam. Highlighting about the bill passed by the
Assam Legislative Assembly
The Assam Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Assam. It is housed in Guwahati, the capital city of Assam, geographically situated in present Western Assam region. The Legislative Assembly comprises 126 M ...
introducing
Assamese language
Assamese (), also Asamiya ( ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the north-east Indian state of Assam, where it is an official language, and it serves as a ''lingua franca'' of the wider region. The easternmost Indo-Iranian languag ...
as a mandatory subject in all the educational institutions in Assam from Class I to X, Ranjan said that
Meitei language should be declared as an associate official language of Assam in accordance to the "Article 347" of the
Indian Constitution
The Constitution of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental r ...
, which is a special provision for the recognition of a language spoken by a section of the population of a State to be officially recognised entirely or partially of the state.
Public grievances and protests
During July 2020, the "Youth's Action Committee for Protection of Indigenous People" (YACPIP) and the "Manipuri Youth Front of Assam" (MYFA),
Silchar
Silchar is a city and the headquarters of the Cachar district of the state of Assam, India. It is located south east of Guwahati. It was founded by Captain Thomas Fisher in 1832 when he shifted the headquarters of Cachar to Janiganj in Silchar. ...
, demanded the recognition of
Meitei language as associate official language of
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
so as the
Manipuri people can apply for jobs in their mother language. The association sent a memorandum to the
President of India
The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Mur ...
through the
Deputy Commissioner of
Cachar
Cachar district is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. After independence the undivided Cachar district was split into four districts in Assam: Dima Hasao district (formerly North Cachar Hills), Cachar district alongsid ...
. In the memorandum, they have stated that
Meitei language is legitimate to be an associate official language in Assam, as there are 102
Meitei language medium schools recognised by
Government of Assam
The Government of Assam is the subnational government of Assam, a state of India. It consists of the Governor appointed by the President of India as the head of the state, currently Jagdish Mukhi. The head of government is the Chief Minis ...
and
Meitei language is being taught in the schools since 1956 till present.
During September 2020, the Guwahati Manipuri Coordination Committee (GMCC) submitted a memorandum to
Sarbananda Sonowal
Sarbananda Sonowal (Assamese: সৰ্বানন্দ সোণোৱাল / IPA: xɔɹbanɔndɔ xʊnʊwal; born 31 October 1962) is an Indian politician from Assam who is the current Cabinet Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and ...
regarding the inclusion of
Meitei language in the
Assam Public Service Commission
The Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) (Assamese: অসম লোকসেৱা আয়োগ) is a state recruitment agency for recruitment of Group 'A' officers and Group 'B' officers for the Government of Assam and all '' state gove ...
(APSC) examinations.
During October 2020, in reaction to the
announcement of Assam Chief Minister, regarding the exemption of people, who do not study in either of the mandatory languages, from government job exams, various associations and organisations led by the "Manipuri Youths Front of Assam" (MYFA) burnt the
effigy
An effigy is an often life-size sculptural representation of a specific person, or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certai ...
of
Sarbananda Sonowal
Sarbananda Sonowal (Assamese: সৰ্বানন্দ সোণোৱাল / IPA: xɔɹbanɔndɔ xʊnʊwal; born 31 October 1962) is an Indian politician from Assam who is the current Cabinet Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and ...
(the then Chief Minister) and
Himanta Biswa Sarma
Himanta Biswa Sarma (born 1 February 1969) is an Indian politician serving as the 15th and incumbent Chief Minister of Assam. A former member of the Indian National Congress political party. Sarma joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 23 Augus ...
(the then Education Minister). They demanded
Meitei language to be declared as an associate official language in Assam.
During September 2021, the Central Committee of the "All Assam Manipuri Students Union" (AAMSU) demanded that
Meitei language should be included as one of the associate official languages of Assam in order to protect the language from getting disappeared.
See also
*
Meitei nationalism
Meitei nationalism ( Meitei: ꯂꯩꯄꯥꯛ ꯅꯤꯡꯕ) refers to nationalism among the Meitei people. In the Meitei context this includes various movements throughout history to sustain Meitei cultural identity, political boundary, ethnicity a ...
Notes
References
External links
* {{Cite web , last=Khumukcham , first=Rinku , title=On inclusion of ‘Manipuri’ language as one of the Associate Official Languages of Assam State - Imphal Times , url=https://www.imphaltimes.com/letter-to-the-editor/item/18104-on-inclusion-of-manipuri-language-as-one-of-the-associate-official-languages-of-assam-state , access-date=2022-08-26 , website=www.imphaltimes.com , language=en-gb
Meitei language movements