T R Zeliang with others during the release of the 2nd Edition of Naga Alphameri on November 30.
Kohima, December 2 (MExN): The second edition of ‘Naga Alphameric’ was released by Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister, T R Zeliang on November 30 last.
The release ceremony, chaired by Advisory Board member Rev Izieteilung Terieng, marked the revival of a project authored over two decades ago by Haisoyi Ndang.
In his opening remarks, he stated that the original project, conceived more than 20 years ago, could not progress due to certain circumstances. Recognising the “indispensable need” for a script to suit local accents, an Advisory Board was constituted in 2025 to revive and advance the initiative.
Deakin University Australia scholar Julian Raxam has been credited with reviving the long-dormant ‘Naga Alphameric’ project after discovering it and initiating contact with its original author, stated an update.
Releasing the second edition of the script, the Dy CM T R Zeliang lauded the author and the Advisory Board for the innovation. He emphasised that such intricate work requires overriding individual effort and the involvement of intellectuals to promote and educate the public. “It needs to begin from lower class so that learning process will be effective and widely publicized,” Zeliang stated.
Author Haisoyi Ndang explained that the 'Naga Alphameric' is derived from various Naga cultural items, creating a deep connection with local heritage. He highlighted its uniqueness, noting its three-dimensional characteristics are designed to fully capture the typical accent of Naga community dialects.
In a significant step for global integration, Deakin University Australia has initiated the process to encode the 'Naga Alphameric' into the Unicode Standard, aiming to establish it as an internationally accepted alphabet.
