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POST script 3
JULY 15, 2012
SEVEN SISTERS
Figure 1: A schematic representation of the codespace. The code blocks for a few scripts have been indicated.
online tutor programs can easily teach Meetei Mayek to anyone interested. One only has to be interested
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EVEN the scripts which have died out, and are no longer in use, will be included in the Unicode standard. This will make storing of old documents in old scripts possible
information technology.
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TABISH QURESHI
the million dollar question - has Meetei Mayek been included in the Unicode standard? The answer is, not yet. However, the process is under way. The task of preparing a draft for assigning the numbers to Meetei Mayek characters is being coordinated by Michael Everson of Ireland, who is an expert in the writing systems of the world, in consultation with learned persons, and scholars who have done research on the script, both Manipuris and non-Manipuris. The draft proposal for encoding of Meetei Mayek has been finalized and sent to the review board of Script Encoding Initiative (SEI). The SEI, established in the UC Berkeley Department of Linguistics, is a project devoted to the preparation of formal proposals for the encoding of scripts not yet currently supported in Unicode. So, everything is in the pipeline now, and it is only a matter of time before Meetei Mayek will become part of the Unicode standard. One might wonder what difference it will make to a layperson when that happens. Once it happens, the computer you buy, which comes preloaded with Windows or Linux, will already have Unicode compatible fonts, capable of displaying Meetei Mayek characters, installed. You will be easily able to type documents, send emails and chat in Meetei Mayek. And the documents you type and the websites you make in Meetei Mayek, will not appear as gibberish to others - they will appear faithfully as Meetei Mayek.
lect the script "Meetei Mayek" from a menu, and then just press "k" to type a "kok". The word-processor will take care of translating the "k" to the Unicode character code cor-
responding to "kok".
(Source: e-pao.net. This article was webcast on 6 January 2007. NELit review has made no editorial changes)
Bhaskar Dutta-Baruah
Laltluangliana Khiangte
THINK the Internet is very important when it comes to popularising the regions literature. Its role is a vital one as it is the only medium which can reach anywhere, no matter what the distance is. Nowadays people dont have time to go to libraries and read books. This is where e-books come in. E-books are extremely important in todays busy world. I think Assamese literature is more advanced and that is why people from the state are more active on the Internet. But literature from Mizoram is also trying to catch up. We just need some more time. While ebooks are very popular these days, I feel publishers in the Northeast are
not exploring that medium as they should. They do not know the importance of this technology. Another reason might be their unfamiliarity with the process. We are trying to promote our language but it is not easy. Mizos are scattered all over the region. They are in Mizoram, Tripura, Cachar and Manipur. We do not have a common platform for promotion of our language and literature. But I believe the Internet can provide that platform now. Someday I would also love to bring out my e-books if I get a chance; it would be a great opportunity.
(Padmashri Laltluangliana Khiangte is a poet, scholar and writer based in Mizoram)
Easterine Kire
HE Internet is gradually becoming the main platform for dissemination of information. If you look at something like Project Gutenberg, which has played a pivotal role in archiving and disseminating copyright-free English and American literature, you can see where northeastern literature can be placed in the future if such plans are implemented here. But we have to bear in mind that initially our target would mainly be people who originate from or reside here. But yes, it doesnt take time to attract the interest of an outsider if the visibility is high. It is purely because of the Internet that we at LBS have managed to place some Assamese translations of western creative writing in niche libraries located even in miniscule islands of Europe. Internet access in rural areas is far less; some places dont even get power for most of
the day. Readers in Assamese are located more in the semi-urban or rural areas and I feel that e-books for them are not really an option yet. If you see the Unicode Standard scripts, Meitei Mayek (Manipur) is the only pure northeastern script to be listed. With the fear of sounding technically illiterate I wonder if, besides Assam, Tripura and Manipur, the other states actually need to use Unicode for ezines or for that matter, simple typesetting purposes. Unicode will, however, help the computer user to write in his own script. Things will be much easier if we can have keyboards with our scripts. The non-English speaker will be more comfortable with technology through Unicode.
(Bhaskar Dutta-Baruah is the CEO of Lawyers Book Stall Publications, Guwahati)
Renee Lulam
HE Internet can be a good marketing tool to promote literature from Northeast India. Assamese literature has used the Internet quite a bit. Some writers from other northeastern states also upload their works on blogs and forums. However, the literature of the Northeast seems to have a wider print presence. Perhaps their online presence isnt felt as effectively. There could be various reasons for this. Internet accessibility is not optimal in this region. E-zines, websites and blogs are great. But low Internet speeds do not help the writer or the reader. The e-book is a fairly new concept even in mainland India. E-books are yet to replace print publishing, in most places. I would rather prefer reading a book in print to one on a Kindle. Moreover, if I were to buy a book to be read on Kindle, Id have to pay quite a bit
more than I would for the print version. Unicode does preserve scripts to some extent. There is a difference between script and language. Most of the northeastern languages either do not have or have lost their scripts. The Roman script is used for many languages here. Meetei, till quite recently, used the Bengali script. Yet Bengali isnt the language they speak, which, in my observation, seems much more crucial. Unicode could bring about changes but Im not sure what or how, because language is dynamic, and in most ways, quite independent of script. Our region is rich in oral traditions. Though the storyteller might tell the same story again, the renditions are never going to be the same.
(An independent researcher, Renee Lulam is currently working with the Womens Studies Centre at St. Edmunds College, Shillong)
ORE and more people are using the Internet to read up on the Northeast. They order books after they have read about them on the Internet. Blogs maintained by writers or bloggers are actively read by many users. Fan pages on Facebook, Northeast pages, etc. help writers, feature writers and journalists to reach potential readers. Films by northeastern filmmakers are available on the Net and get new viewers thus. The younger generation is very active in using the Internet and definitely it is already playing a pivotal role in popularising northeastern literature. I know of at least one talented young Naga poet being picked up by an Australian publishing house after his poetry was published on the Internet. However, people take time to change their reading habits. It takes time and energy to design an ezine, website, or blog. So far as e-book is concerned, I think its just a matter of time for this to catch up as an option for reading a book not easily ordered in print. The demand will affect the supply. For one, both publishers and readers are still traditional in the Northeast, preferring to pick up books in print at a bookshop than have it stored on a laptop in cyber space. But the Northeast is also known for picking up on trends quite fast so I am sure the day of the e-book will soon come to the Northeast. I would definitely bring out ebooks if I get a chance.