A vehicle owner covers the registration number of his car painted in Meitei script with paper as police seized vehicles bearing registration numbers in Meitei in July in Imphal. File picture

Imphal, Nov. 27: All vehicles in Manipur will soon carry registration plates written both in English and Meitei as part of the second phase of the Meitei Erol Eyek Loinasillon Apunba Lup’s agitation to popularise the indigenous script.

The script is already in use in the lower primary level.

The organisation launched the latest campaign after an understanding with the Okram Ibobi Singh government, which had initially opposed the group, forcing vehicle owners to use the indigenous script.

“We are currently continuing the campaign in the twin districts of Imphal East and West as well as in Thoubal district. We will extend the campaign to Bishnupur district as well,” Ng. Yumjao, president of the organisation, said today.

Volunteers of the script organisation launched the campaign in the Kwakeithel area of Imphal West and Thoubal districts today. Another leader of the organisation said so far more than 600 vehicles, including taxis, two-wheelers and trucks, were covered in the second phase of the campaign that began a few days back.

The volunteers stopped the vehicles on the roads and had the numbers painted in Meitei. However, Bengali was never used on the number plates in the state. English had sole predominance.

The volunteers charged Rs 50 from each vehicle-owner and handed over the money to the artist writing the number plate as his fee.

“We are not forcing any vehicle-owner. They are very cooperative. In fact, they are more than happy because if they go to any studio, they will have to pay Rs 80 to Rs 100,” Yumjao said.

Earlier, organisations in the hills had opposed the use of Meitei script on registration numbers of vehicles. Yumjao said efforts were on to reach an understanding with those organisations. “So far the campaign is confined only to the valley,” he said.

Ibobi Singh government has provided textbooks in Roman script for students who do not want to learn the local script.

Yumjao said his organisation would also launch a campaign to use the local script on signboards and hoardings.