IMPHAL, Nov 5(NNN): Manuscript listing project being jointly taken up by Manuscripts Conservation Centre, Imphal (MCC) and Manuscripts Resource Centre, Manipur (MRC) under National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) has been extended till 2017 with the two agencies of Manipur Government so far registering 42,582 manuscripts till September this year, said the project Assistant Coordinator, Abdul Kalam on Monday.
A five-day long workshop: “Preventive Conservation of Manuscripts” sponsored by NMM was kickstarted on Monday being organized by Manipur State Archives Manuscripts Conservation Centre at its hall, Keishampat here.
On the sidelines of the workshop opening ceremony, Assistant Coordinator, NMM project, Abdul Kalam told Newmai News Network that the duration of the project has been extended till 2017, apart from listing 42,582 manuscripts till September by MCC and MRC.
The project has been taken up after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) involving MCC, MRC and Government of India. The project that started from 2003 has been extended its period of listing of manuscripts in Manipur till 2017 after signing a fresh MoU with the Government of India, Kalam who is also an archivist said.
The MCC and MRC are the State implementing agencies of the NMM project. MCC is associated with the works of manuscript listing, surveying and cataloguing while MRC does the works of conservation and treatment of manuscripts.
A manuscript should be of a script written in different materials such as paper, stone, wood and other items which is 75-100 years old, Kalam explained. Every book written by hand on flexible material and intended to be placed in library is called a manuscript.
The aim of the workshop is to find out ways on how to conserve all the manuscripts in the State, he added.The inaugural function of the workshop that will continue till November 9 was attended by 83 delegates from different colleges, libraries and Manipur University (MU) which are the guardians of various manuscripts in the State.
It was graced by Padmashree RK Jhaljit, retired Principal, Government Law College, Manipur as chief guest. Malika Mitra, Director, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Bhubaneshwar, Vibhaskumar, Coordinator, MRC and MCC, Patna, and Tarun Saikia, Archivist, Gauhati University participated it as resource persons.