)
, type = cultural
, image = "Meitei Language Day" alias "Manipuri Language Day" written in Meitei script and Latin script.jpg
, imagesize = 300px
, caption = Meitei translation of "Meitei Language Day" written in
Meitei script with
Latin transliteration.
, official_name = Manipuri Language Day
, nickname = "Imalongi Numit" ()
, observedby =
Manipur ( mni,
Kangleipak)
*
Government of Manipur
**
Department of Art and Culture
**
Directorate of Language Planning and Implementation
Directorate of Language Planning and Implementation (DLPI) is a directorate of the Government of Manipur in charge of the language planning and the implementation of policies of Meitei language (officially known as Manipuri language) as well as ...
(DLPI)
*
Manipuri Sahitya Parishad
* Patriotic Writers' Forum (PAWF), Manipur and Tripura
* All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU)
* Marup Organisation Lalshingmura, Tripura
and
many others
, litcolor =
, longtype =
, significance = the day on which
Meitei 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 ...
(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 ...
) was included in the
Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India and made one of the
languages with official status in India on the 20th August, 1992
, begins =
, ends =
, date = 20 August
, scheduling = same day each year
, duration = 1 day
, frequency = Annual
, week_ordinal =
, weekday =
, month = August
, date2021 = Friday
, date2022 = Saturday
, date2023 = Sunday
, date2024 = Tuesday
, celebrations =
, observances =
, relatedto =
Meitei 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 ...
(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 ...
) being included in the
Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India
Meitei Language Day ( mni, Meitei Longi Numit; /mei-tei lon-gee noo-meet/), also known as Manipuri Language Day ( mni, Manipuri Longi Numit; /ma-nee-poo-ree lon-gee noo-meet/), is observed annually on
20 August
Events Pre-1600
*AD 14 – Agrippa Postumus, maternal grandson of the late Roman emperor Augustus, is mysteriously executed by his guards while in exile.
* 636 – Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control ...
. It is a
commemoration of the day on which
Meitei 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 ...
(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 ...
) was included in the
Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India and made one of the
languages with official status in India on the 20th August, 1992.
Annual events
2022 - 31st event
In the year 2022,
Manipur's
Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, while giving a speech at a function in the event, compared
Meitei speaking community with the endangered
Sangai deer.
Leisemba 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
Leishemba ...
, the
Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, attended the state level event, as the guest of honor. In the event, he said that the
Central Government of India has given positive response to him regarding the inclusion of
Meitei 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 ...
as the
Classical language of India. He further added that he had urged the Indian government officials to include
Meitei script alongside the
Bengali script for
Meitei 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 ...
in the civil service examinations (including but not limited to the
Union Public Service Commission and the
Manipur Public Service Commission
The Manipur Public Service Commission is the Constitutional body constituted for recommending candidates for recruitment to various posts of the Government of Manipur (Gazetted posts). It also gives concurrence on the recommendation of Departm ...
exams), to end the problems faced by the students.
The state level celebration of the event was collectively organised by the team works of 17 different organisations which are: (1) Manipuri Sahitya Parishad; (2) The Cultural Forum Manipur; (3) Naharol Sahitya Premee Samiti; (4) Manipuri Language Development Committee; (5) EPATHOUKOK; (6) LEIKOL; (7) SATHOULUP; (8) IMAKHOL; (9) Manipur State Sumang Leela Council; (10) Writers' Forum Manipur; (11) Manipuri Literary Society; (12) AMMIK; (13) Film Forum Manipur; (14) Arts Society Manipur; (15) Theatre Centre Manipur; (16) Patriotic Writers' Forum and (17) Writers' Union.
The "Wakhallon Mannaba Apunba" (WAMA),
Kangleipak, declared the winners of the poetry competition held on the topic 'Maton Chongkhatlakliba Meetei Lon' ( mni, ꯃꯇꯣꯟ ꯆꯣꯡꯈꯠꯂꯛꯂꯤꯕ ꯃꯤꯇꯩꯂꯣꯟ
lit. ''
Meiteilon in the budding stage'').
2021 - 30th event
In the year 2021, due to
COVID-19 pandemic, the District Magistrate of
Imphal East
, native_name_lang = Meitei
, other_name = omp, Nongpok Yumphal
, nickname =
, settlement_type = District of Manipur
, image_skyline = Imphal War ...
temporarily permitted for three hours on 20th August for the observation of the 30th edition of Meitei Language Day (Manipuri Language Day) in
Imphal,
Manipur. The permit was given to L. Sharatchandra, Convener of the State-level Manipuri Language Celebration Committee, on the 17th August. The three hours permit was valid from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the 20th August. Manipuri diasporas in other states of
Northeast India,
Bangladesh and
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
, who had contributed to
Meitei literature (
Manipuri literature
, image = Numit Kappa.jpg
, imagesize =
, caption = The Numit Kappa, a Classical Meitei epic text written during the 1st century, based on ancient Meitei mythology and religion (Sanamahism)
, alt ...
), also participated in the event.
2020 - 29th event
In the year 2021, as a part of the event on the day, the Manipur University Student's Union (MUSU) organized symposium on the theme "Preservation and prospect of Manipuri Language for the future generation" in the
Manipur University,
Imphal. The students' union unanimously resolved to demand the
Government of Manipur for the amendment to the 1979 Official Language Act as "Manipuri written in
Meetei Mayek" instead of "Manipuri written in
Bengali" and for the introduction of a policy for the promotion of
Meitei 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 ...
and
Meitei script ( mni,
Meitei Mayek) in
Assam,
Meghalaya and
Tripura as well as in Bangladesh and Myanmar. The Students' Union also asked the
Manipur Government
The Government of Manipur ( mni, Manipur Leingak; /mə.ni.pur lə́i.ŋak/), also known as the State Government of Manipur, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Manipur and its 16 districts. ...
to give pressure to the
Assam Government
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 Minister, ...
to recognise Meitei language as one of the associate official languages of Assam. Besides, other demands from the same organization include the reformation of Manipur Language Directorate, the reinstating of the Manipur Language Training Academy, the establishment of one exclusive repository institution for studying and researching the
PuYa Puya may refer to:
* ''Puya'' (plant), in the family Bromeliaceae
* Puya (river), in Russia
* Puya, a variety of Guajillo chili
* ''Puya'' (Meitei texts), traditional or mythological texts of the Meetei people
* ''Culoepuya'' or ''Culo'e Puya'', V ...
s among others.
Other than the observation in
Imphal Valley of
Manipur, the event was observed in
Jiribam by the Manipuri Sahitya Parishad Jiribam (MSPJ) as well as in Tripura and Hailakandi, Assam.
2019 - 28th event
In the year 2019, the event was organised under the theme "ꯃꯅꯤꯄꯨꯔꯤ ꯂꯣꯟ ꯆꯥꯎꯈꯠꯍꯟꯕꯗ ꯂꯝꯗꯝꯁꯤꯒꯤ ꯌꯦꯜꯍꯧ ꯂꯣꯟꯁꯤꯡꯁꯨ ꯆꯥꯎꯈꯠꯍꯟꯕ ꯇꯉꯥꯏꯐꯗꯦ ꯫" (“Manipuri Lon Chaokhat Hanbada Lamdam Sigi Yelhou Lonsingsu Chaokhat Hanba Tangaiphade”).
BJP Minister
Thongam Biswajit Singh
Thongam Biswajit Singh is an Indian politician and member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is a member of the Manipur Legislative Assembly since 2012 from the Thongju constituency in Imphal East district. Currently Singh is Minister For Envir ...
gave a speech in promoting the efforts of the inclusion of the Manipuri language in the
Classical languages of India
Languages spoken in India belong to several language families, the major ones being the Indo-European languages spoken by 78.05% of Indians and the Dravidian languages spoken by 19.64% of Indians, both families together are sometimes known ...
. He proposed a temporary committee to spearhead the efforts to the inclusion of Manipuri in the Classical Languages of India if there was no Language Commission available by that time.
Manipur Government
The Government of Manipur ( mni, Manipur Leingak; /mə.ni.pur lə́i.ŋak/), also known as the State Government of Manipur, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Manipur and its 16 districts. ...
's Health and Family Welfare Minister
Langpoklakpam Jayantakumar Singh said that instead of saying just "Meitei language", if everyone could say "Manipuri language", then it would have a wider connotation and accommodation in all the languages of
Manipur. On the day at a separate venue, DM College of Arts of the
Dhanamanjuri University collaborating with YK College of
Wangjing, Manipur organised a one day seminar on "Manipuri language in the global context". Besides, the event was organised by various associations including Patriotic Writers Forum (PAWF) at Manipur Press Club, Manipur Language Development Society (MALADES) in Imphal and District Institute of Education & Training (DIET) in Koirengei.
2018 - 27th event
In the year 2018, the event was organised in the state level by the 13 committees working together under a single roof which are (1) Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, (2) Naharol Sahitya Premee Samiti, (3) Manipuri Language Development Committee, (4) Epathoukok, (5) Manipuri Literary Society, (6) Writers Forum Imphal, (7) Leimarol Khorjeikhol (LEIKOL), (8) Sathoulup, (9) Patriotic Writers Forum Manipur, (10) Imakhol, (11) Manipur State Shumang Leela Council, (12) Apunba Manipur Matam Ishei Kanglup (AMMIK) and (13) Film Forum Manipur at the Maharaj Chandrakirti Auditorium in Imphal. Other than the state level celebration, the event was also observed by the All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU).
2017 - 26th event
In the year 2017, the event was celebrated at state level organised by the 14 organisations. During a function, a
Meetei Mayek training course was inaugurated at the Manipuri Basti ME School in
Guwahati,
Assam. The event was organised by Patriotic Writers Forum in
Manipur and Marup Organisation Lalshingmura,
Tripura. In
Assam, the event was organised by Aieba Lup Assam,
Hojai. "Sahitya Sevak", an award instituted by the organisation was given to Binoychand Koijam from
Guwahati, Thangjam Amar, Diphu and Gopi Meitram from
Lanka, Assam
\
Located in Hojai District of Assam, Lanka is a town and a town area committee with 11 wards. It serves as a trade and commerce hub for nearby areas such as ''Udali, Nokhuti, Laskar Pather, Karikhana, Kheroni, Dablong'', and ''Doiyong'' sides. ...
.
2016 - 25th event
In the year 2016, on the day of the event, the "
Classical Language" status was demanded by the Manipuri speaking people in
Bangladesh,
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
and the
North East India, especially Assam, Tripura and Manipur. They said the language meets all the criteria for the "
Classical Language" status. One day before the commemoration day, a 48-hour general strike was called by the followers of the
Inner Line Permit
Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document issued by the concerned state government to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period. It is obligatory for Indian citizens from outside those state ...
(ILP) movement on account of the arrest of their leader Khomdram Ratan. The strike had drastically affected the normal life in Manipur during that time but they ended the strike at midnight that very day just for the sake of the celebration of Manipuri Language Day on the next day.
2015 - 24th event
In the year 2015, "ꯃꯅꯤꯄꯨꯔ ꯀꯟꯁꯤ, ꯃꯅꯤꯄꯨꯔꯤ ꯂꯣꯟ ꯍꯤꯡꯍꯟꯁꯤ" ("Manipur Kansi, Manipuri Lon Hinghansi") was the main theme for the organisation of the event.
Sahitya Academy Awardee and columnist OC Meira gave a speech about the role of print media in developing
Meitei 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 ...
while Professor Chirom Rajketan talked on the role of the language in developing the society of
Manipur. All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU) also organised the event in the
Dhanamanjuri University.
In
Khangabok
Khangabok is a village located about 25 km south of Imphal, in the state of Manipur, India. Its jurisdiction falls under the Thoubal District Division. Khangabok is one of the largest villages in Manipur in terms of area and population.
Th ...
, Manipur, the Patriotic Writers' Forum, Manipur and KM Blooming Higher Secondary School organised the event in which poetry recitation and poetry writing competition on the theme "Imarol" (literally, ''mother tongue'' in
Meitei 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 ...
) and "Indigenous people" was held.
In
Tripura, the event was organised by the Patriotic Writers' Forum, Tripura. In the event, politician
Ramendra Narayan Debbarma
Ramendra Narayan Debbarma (c. 1950 – 11 February 2018) was an Indian politician.
A member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), he had worked in the public sector until 2012. He contested the 2013 Tripura Legislative Assembly
The Tr ...
praised the language by saying that Manipuri writers of Tripura have put more efforts to promote
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 ...
than the writers of
Kokborok language did for their respective language.
2014 - 23rd event
In the year 2014, the event coincided with the 1st anniversary of Directorate of Language Planning & Implementation. A speech about "ꯃꯅꯤꯄꯨꯔꯤ ꯂꯣꯜꯅ ꯀ꯭ꯂꯥꯁꯤꯀꯦꯜ ꯂꯦꯡꯒ꯭ꯋꯦꯖ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯕꯒꯤ ꯄꯣꯠꯆꯪ" (''"Manipuri Lol Na Classical Language Oinabagi Potchang"'') (essential ingredients of transforming Manipuri into a classical language) was given by Chungkham Yashobanta Singh of Department of Linguistics,
Manipur University in the commemoration event. The celebration was jointly organised by (1) Cultural Forum Manipur, (2) Naharol Sahitya Premee Samiti, (3) Manipuri Literary Society, (4) Manipuri Lingual Development Committee, (5) Leimarol Khorjeikhol (LEIKOL) and (6) Manipur State Shumang Leela Council at the Dave Literature Centre, DM College campus of the
Dhanamanjuri University. The Manipuri Sahitya Parishad and the All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU) also organised their respective functions separately at different places on the very day. The Patriotic Writers' Forum also organised the event at the Manipur Press Club.
2013 - 22nd event
In the year 2013, the event was organised under the joint aegis of three organisations which are (1) Manipuri Language Development Committee, (2) Manipur State Shumang Leela Council and (3) Manipuri Naat Kanba Lup. In another function organised by the All Manipur Students' Association (AMSU), the Chief Guest was Sagolshem Saratchandra, who was the then President of AMSU in 1992 when the students' union was spearheading the pressure on the government to include Meitei language in the
Eighth Schedule to the Indian Constitution. Saratchandra said that if the present day students didn't willingly take up Manipuri as their main subject, the fate of the language would be very grim. He appealed to the students to consider the significance of taking Manipuri as the main subject instead of going crazy after English subject. Besides these, the event was also celebrated in other places including in
Hojai,
Assam.
2012 - 21st event
In the year 2012, the event was organised in various locations by different associations, like the Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, Imphal in the Auditorium of Manipur Hindi Parishad, the All Manipur Students Union (AMSU) in DM College of the
Dhanamanjuri University, the Patriotic Writers Forum, Manipur in New Checkon, the Manipuri Language Development Society (MALADES) at Ibudhou Thongju Lakpa Laibung in Thongju Part II of
Thongju Assembly constituency, the Manipuri Literary Society and many others. A biannual edition of "Ngaklou" publication was released on the function organised by the Patriotic Writers Forum, Manipur.
Award ceremony
On the day of the celebration of the Meitei Language Day, the Patriotic Writers' Forum bestow three awards to three prominent writers (either from inside or outside of
Manipur) for composing short stories based on patriotic themes for
Meitei literature (
Manipuri literature
, image = Numit Kappa.jpg
, imagesize =
, caption = The Numit Kappa, a Classical Meitei epic text written during the 1st century, based on ancient Meitei mythology and religion (Sanamahism)
, alt ...
) every year since 2008.
The awards are (1) Pacha Meetei Literary Award, (2) R Kathing Tangkhul Literary Award and (3) Dr Saroj Nalini Parratt Literary Award. The awards consist of cash incentive, citation, memento and shawl.
Similar events
The following events are observed on the same day, 20th August:
*
Feast of Asmá’
A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...
(
Baháʼí Faith, only if
Baháʼí Naw-Rúz falls on 21st March)
*
Indian Akshay Urja Day (India)
*
Independence Restoration Day (Estonia), re-declaration of the independence of Estonia from the Soviet Union in 1991
*
Revolution of the King and the People (Morocco)
*
Saint Stephen's Day (Hungary)
Related articles
*
Meitei literature
*
List of epics in Meitei language
*
List of Meitei-language films
*
List of Meitei-language newspapers
The Meitei language (officially known as Manipuri language) has a long history of literature and culture. Meitei language newspapers are either printed in Meitei script or in Bengali script or even in both. The following are some of the notabl ...
*
List of Meitei-language television channels
*
List of Sahitya Akademi Award winners for Meitei
*
List of Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize winners for Meitei
References
External links
{{Languages of India
Annual events in India
August observances
Government of Manipur
Meitei language
Observances in India