The state observes International Mother Language Day, on Sunday. The observance was held in the Gandhi Memorial Hall, Imphal. Organized by the Directorate of Language, Planning & Implementation, Manipur, where Education Minister S. Rajen Singh said that it is the duty of every citizen to preserve and protect our mother language. He said that every community has its own dialects or language. Also, all communities wish to preserve and protect it. The observance itself is a manifestation of preserving our own language, he added.

Minister Rajen also maintained that language is also the identity of a community. Manipuri language has been included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. It is because of those who struggled for the cause of our mother language. We have introduced a curriculum of Manipuri language and the script from lower to higher studies. The Manipuri Official Language Act, 1979 has been amended. With the new amendment after ten years the existing Bengali Mayek will be replaced by Meitei/Meetei Mayek, he added.

Minister also emphasized to prefer our mother language instead of others. But knowing other languages is also quite helpful. The age old traditions of the state also need to be preserved. He said that there have been changes during the last few decades but changing our indigenous traditions is not appreciable. The state is very rich and unique in art and culture. We should always protect our identities, the minister maintained.

Commissioner Education(S), T. Ranjit Singh, Vice Chancellor, Manipur Cultural University, Prof. P. Gunindro, Director, Language, Planning & Implementation, Manipur, Th. Chitra Devi also attended the occasion as president and Guests of Honour respectively.