Manipuri Language Day (Meitei: Manipuri Longi Numit; /ma-nee-poo-ree lon-gee noo-meet/), is an annual celebration of the Manipuri (Meitei) language in India and Bangladesh on 20 August. It is the day in 1992 on which Manipuri was added to the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India, making it one of the official languages of India.
In the year 2023, the 32nd Meitei language day was celebrated by different groups in different places.
Rajkumar Ranjan, the then Minister of State (MoS) of Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Education of the Union Government of India, extended his wishes to the people of Manipur and gave salute to the language activists who had worked hard to include the language in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India. He announced that the Ministry of Education of the Union Government of India gave directives to the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for the commencement of different courses in Meitei language.
In one celebration by the Manipuri Language Day State Level Celebration Committee at the Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen in Palace Compound, the event was attended by the members of Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, Manipur State Shumang Leela Council, Film Forum Manipur and Writers' Union Imphal.
In the event, Leihaothabam Sharatchandra, the convenor of Manipuri Language Day State Level Celebration Committee, told to the public:
"We cannot preserve and promote Manipuri language, if we are not proud of having our own language and script".
The event showed that the knowledge of one's mother language is of the top importance in comparison to others, even though knowing different languages is good.
The event was also celebrated by the Naharol Sahitya Premee Samiti and the Cultural Forum Manipur.
The event was also celebrated by the Directorate of Regional Indian Languages & Research (DRILR) and the Manipur International University (MIU) at the Conference Hall of MIU in Ghari, Imphal West district.
Harikumar Pallathadka, the Chancellor of Manipur International University (MIU), stressed the essentialism of the "Manipur State Language Commission & State Language Policy" in order to preserve and promote both Meitei language, which is already tabled for the official recognition of classical language status, as well as the vernaculars of Manipur.
The event was attended by members of the Ministry of Home Affairs (India), UNESCO Club Manipur, AIR Imphal, people from Montreal, Mysore, and the officials of CIIL, Government of India.
In the event, Yumnam Nouba Meetei was bestowed with the prestigious "Prof Dr R Subbakrishna Memorial Community Linguist Award 2023", for his selfless dedication and contribution to the revitalization of Meitei language and script.
A symposium was also organised on the topic, "Mother tongue from indigenous perspective, our language, our pride".
The event was also separately celebrated by the Manipur People's Party (MPP), the Manipuri Department of Manipur University (MU), as well as the Wakhallon Mannaba Apunba (WAMA), Kangleipak.
In the year 2022, Manipur's Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, while giving a speech at a function in the event, compared Meitei speaking community with the endangered Sangai deer. Leisemba Sanajaoba, the Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, attended the state level event, as the guest of honor. In the event, he said that the Central Government of India has given positive response to him regarding the inclusion of Meitei language as the Classical language of India. He further added that he had urged the Indian government officials to include Meitei script alongside the Bengali script for Meitei language in the civil service examinations (including but not limited to the Union Public Service Commission and the Manipur Public Service Commission exams), to end the problems faced by the students.
The state level celebration of the event was collectively organised by the team works of 17 different organisations which are: (1) Manipuri Sahitya Parishad; (2) The Cultural Forum Manipur; (3) Naharol Sahitya Premee Samiti; (4) Manipuri Language Development Committee; (5) EPATHOUKOK; (6) LEIKOL; (7) SATHOULUP; (8) IMAKHOL; (9) Manipur State Sumang Leela Council; (10) Writers' Forum Manipur; (11) Manipuri Literary Society; (12) AMMIK; (13) Film Forum Manipur; (14) Arts Society Manipur; (15) Theatre Centre Manipur; (16) Patriotic Writers' Forum and (17) Writers' Union.
The "Wakhallon Mannaba Apunba" (WAMA), Kangleipak, declared the winners of the poetry competition held on the topic 'Maton Chongkhatlakliba Meetei Lon' (Meitei: ꯃꯇꯣꯟ ꯆꯣꯡꯈꯠꯂꯛꯂꯤꯕ ꯃꯤꯇꯩꯂꯣꯟ lit. Meiteilon in the budding stage).
In the year 2021, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the District Magistrate of Imphal East temporarily permitted for three hours on 20 August for the observation of the 30th edition of Meitei Language Day (Manipuri Language Day) in Imphal, Manipur. The permit was given to L. Sharatchandra, Convener of the State-level Manipuri Language Celebration Committee, on the 17 August. The three hours permit was valid from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on 20 August. Manipuri diasporas in other states of Northeast India, Bangladesh and Myanmar, who had contributed to Meitei literature (Manipuri literature), also participated in the event.