Imphal: The 35th Manipuri Language Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm and grandeur today, at Agartala under the initiative of the Department of Kokborok and Other Minority Languages, Government of Tripura.
Tripura Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy inaugurated the Language Day celebration by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Art and Culture Minister of the Government of Manipur, Khuraijam Loken Singh attended the programme as the guest of honour. Paonam Gunindra, Vice-Chancellor of Manipur University of Culture, attended as the special guest, while Thoudam Nilakumar, Vice-Chairman of the Manipuri Language Development Advisory Committee, attended as the distinguished guest. The Director of the Department of Kokborok and Other Minority Languages presided over the function.
Speaking at the Language Day celebration, Tripura Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy said that the Manipuri language is one of the prominent and well-developed languages of Northeast India. He said that the various languages spoken in Tripura are a source of strength for the State and that the Tripura Government has been making efforts for the promotion and development of all languages spoken in the State.
Manipur Art and Culture Minister, Khuraijam Loken Singh said that Manipuri is one of the ancient languages of India having its own script. He expressed appreciation for the initiatives being taken by the Tripura Government for the promotion and development of the Manipuri language. He also assured that the Government of Manipur would extend its efforts and cooperation towards the promotion of Manipuri language and culture in Tripura.
On the occasion, the Government of Tripura honoured four eminent personalities of Tripura state for their contributions in the field of art and culture. The awardees were Salam Brajendra Singh for Nat Sankirtana, Seleibam Jiban Sen for Manipuri folk songs, Shamurailatpam Ongbi Suradhani Sharma as a writer, and Gurumayum Nitai Sharma for his contribution as a Manipuri language teacher.
The programme was followed by a colourful cultural presentation. Postgraduate students in Manipuri Dance from Manipur University, Visva-Bharati and Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, along with students learning Manipuri Dance at the Tripura Government Music College, participated in the cultural programme.
Prior to the formal inauguration by lighting the ceremonial lamp, a colourful procession was taken out through the main streets of the city. Participants, dressed in traditional attire, marched to the accompaniment of dhol, kartal and devotional songs. Manipur Art and Culture Minister Khuraijam Loken Singh flagged off the procession and also personally participated in it.
It may be mentioned that the Department of Kokborok and Other Minority Languages, Government of Tripura, observes Kokborok Language Day on January 19 every year, commemorating the day on which Kokborok was accorded recognition as a State language.
The Manipuri Language Development Advisory Committee, constituted by the Government of Tripura, had resolved to observe August 20 as Manipuri Language Day, commemorating the inclusion of the Manipuri language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. Since 2024, the Government of Tripura has been organising Manipuri Language Day on a grand scale.
