Meitei language speakers have a notable presence in the Barak Valley of Assam.Meitei language speakers have a notable presence in the Hojai district of the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam.
Meitei language speakers live in all the three districts of the Barak Valley, Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts, as significant minority population.[6][7] According to the Ethnologue, it also has a notable presence in Dima Hasao district, besides those of the Barak Valley.[8] It also has a notable presence in the Hojai district of Assam.[9][10][11]
A depiction of the successful historical movement demanding Meitei to be made an official language of Assam
In Assam, many people had organised a language movement, demanding that Meitei language be made one of the official languages of Assam, besides Assamese language.[20][21] As a part of the movement, in 2023, they walked more than 300 km long march, as a sign of protests demanding their democratic rights.[22] In the same year, Leishemba Sanajaoba, the titular king and an Indian member of Parliament of Manipur, wrote a letter to the government of Assam, to look into the matter.[23] In 2024, the government of Assam approved the request, by declaring Meitei as the additional official language of four districts of Assam, namely Cachar district, Hailakandi district, Karimganj district and Hojai district.[24][25][26]
Meitei speaking people from Assam also work on the language movement demanding that Meitei be given the officially recognised classical language status by the Union Government of India.[27]
Education
The Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA)[28] and the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) provides Meitei language education in the schools of Assam.[29]
Assam University of Silchar has a "Department of Manipuri", providing education upto PhD degrees.[30][31] Gauhati University also provides Meitei language education as an independent subject.[32]
Literature
Starting from 2020, the Government of Assam provides a financial support of ₹5 lakh (US$6,600) every year to the Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, a group that works for the development of Meitei literature (also called Manipuri literature) in Assam as well as other Meitei populated states.[33]
Moreover, the government also gave ₹6 crore (US$790,000) for the development of Meitei language corpus.[34]
Language day
Meitei language day — 20th August
In Assam, Manipuri Language Day, also known as Meitei language day, is celebrated, like it is done in other states every year. The event is celebrated to honour the day on which Meitei was made an official language recognised by the eighth schedule to the Constitution of India. The notable groups that celebrate the event are Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, Asam Sahitya Sabha, Department of Manipuri of Assam University.[35][36]
Movies
Meitei language movies are often shown in different film festivals in Assam, including the
Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival (BVFF), in Guwahati.
In 2023, a Meitei language movie named "Nine Hills One Valley", directed by Haobam Pabankumar, was shown in the event.[37]
"Phisakhol" (Meitei: ꯐꯤꯁꯥꯈꯣꯜ) is the first Meitei language movie having its initial release in the Silchar city of the Barak Valley in Assam.[38][39]
↑Samom, Sobhapati (2018-05-22). "Assam's Hojai to host Wari-Leeba festival from May 24". NORTHEAST NOW. Retrieved 2024-05-17. According to Repertory of Wari Leeba Manipur, the arts form of Wari-Leeba is slowly dying in Meitei inhabited areas of Bangladesh and Tripura while it is picking up in places like Hojai and Cachar in Assam.
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