IMPHAL, February 10: In a press release, the Kanglei Yayol kanna Lup (KYKL) said that students reading in class IX this year are facing problems over whether they would opt for their mother tongue or alternative English. Saying that there are 13 mother tongues or languages being recognized by the Board of Secondary Education and 9 mother tongues being recognized by the Council of Higher Secondary School, the release said that Meiteirol is recognized by both Board of Secondary Education and Council of Higher Secondary School. It added that as per the rules of the Board, a student of class IX can opt for either one of the specified mother tongues or alternative English and that it has come to light that some Catholic schools in the valley, those affiliated to CBSE and some other schools have exerted their influence on students newly admitted to class IX to choose Alternative English and not to take Manipuri. Some school teachers said that Manipuri and other mother tongues are not the subjects in which students can get high marks whereas they will find Alternative English easy to get high marks, the statement said. As teachers can influence the young students easily, less than 10% among students of class IX has not opted for Manipuri, it alleged, adding that such a practice is sabotaging the growth of Meiteilol.
Mother tongue is the greatest and powerful weapon in life and development, the release said adding, “It is a fact acknowledged by linguistics and philology that man cannot think without language.” Elaborating further that some schools have influenced children not to opt for Manipuri and other mother tongues and that such an action is against the community/ society and the interest of students, the release said that the KYKL has initiated investigations against Catholic schools, CBSE schools and some other schools which have influenced the students not to opt for Manipuri. If it has proved right following the investigation, the guilty schools will be banned for good and the guilty teachers will be awarded capital punishment.