Manipuri,  a language included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India, on August 20, 1992, once again enjoyed it’s privilege when Manipur’s Inner Parliamentary representative to the Lok Sabha decided to follow his predecessors,  Dr. Thokchom Meinya Singh and Thounoujam Chaoba Singh by opting to take his oath as a member of parliament in Manipuri on Monday when the17th Lok Sabha met for its first session.

 RK Ranjan Singh, the BJP MP, representing Manipur valley was among the 313 MPs of 17th  Lok Sabha Assembly who took the grand privilege of taking their oath in their multilingual languages. 

Back home in Manipur, people were overwhelmed by their MP, Dr RK Ranjan’s act when the walls of the Parliament reverberated the Manipuri phonetics during his 36 seconds oath in “Manipuri”. Dr.  Ranjan became the third MP to swearing-in in Manipuri. The first to do it was Thounoujam Chaoba Singh who was the MP in 11th,  12th and 13th Lok Sabha.  After Chaoba,  the last MP of the Congress,  Dr Thokchom Meinya who represented the Inner Manipur Seat for three consecutive times in the 14th to 16th Lok Sabha also took his oath in Manipuri in Parliament. 

“Taking oath in your mother tongue which is included in the 8th schedule is the proper thing to do as a MP.  I started this.  In fact when Manipuri was included in the 8th schedule,  the next day I spoke in Manipuri for half an hour.  It was only after those Manipuri interpreters were recruited by the parliament,” said former MP,  Th. Chaoba Singh. 

At the time when the state is going through socio-political insecurity, especially when the BJP is vehement about legislating the ‘citizen amendment bill’ and the entire northeast region poised on resuming the strong anti ‘citizen amendment bill’ witnessed prior to 17th Lok Sabha election, Dr.  Ranjan’s step was reassuring and received loud applause.

 “When MP swear in our own mother tongue, certain kind of respect has been given that it has been deprived. Three cheers to Dr.  Ranjan” remarked Bona Meisnam,  a creative professional,  based in Imphal. 
“Hearing our representative speaking in Manipuri should not be just for political gain but rather to try to prop the language reach its proper state,” expressed, Manjit Sarangthem,  a youth leader.

“We got our language in the 8th schedule in 1992 but till now inclusion has not helped lift its status.

For instance, its due inclusion in the Indian currency as a recognized scheduled Indian language has not yet been realized. For Dr Ranjan taking his oath in Manipuri is definitely a step in the right direction that should be followed up with steps to culminate with Manipuri language making it on the currency print,” Manjit added.

Dr. RK Ranjan Singh won the Inner Manipur Seat, beating Oinam Nabakishore of Congress, his nearest contestant, polling a total of 263,632 votes. This is his first time running an election.