Tripura: Roman Script for Kokborok Demand Intensifies Before Polls

The long-standing demand for Roman script for Tripura's Kokborok language has intensified before TTAADC polls, led by TISF and Tipra Motha. CM Manik Saha rejected it, citing political motives and low student preference for the script.

Kokborok Script Demand Peaks Ahead of TTAADC Polls

The demand for Roman Script for Kokborok language, the widely spoken indigenous language of all the 19 tribes of Tripura, has been raised for decades by different organisations and at present, ahead of the TTAADC election, the issue has reached its peak. Today, in different sub divisional towns & districts, TISF, Tripura Indigenous Student Federation members have made human chain and demonstrated demand for the same although Tripura CM Dr Manik Saha, told ANI, today itself that, rulling BJP government has no objection in allowing them any other language than Roman Script since they have their own language and rich cultural heritage to choose an alternative one.

Manik Saha also said that, in the board exam, it's clearly seen that a very small number of students have opted for Roman Script instead, which proves that this is nothing but an artificial demand in the name of politics ahead of the TTAADC election. Besides, the TISF leaders have demanded that the needful of allowing for Roman Script is essential for the students and the upcoming generation. Nevertheless, the demand has been around for quite a long time.

A Decades-Old Controversy Reignited

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday rejected the demand to introduce the Roman script for Kokborok, reigniting a decades-old debate over the script to be used for the indigenous language of Tripura's tribal communities. The Kokborok language, spoken by nearly 14 lakh people belonging to 19 indigenous communities of the state, has long been at the centre of a linguistic and political controversy.

Political Divide Over Script Choice

For years, TMP, Tipra Motha Party, and its various wings, such as TISF (Tipra Indigenous Student Federation) and TSF (Twipra Student Federation), along with a few allied wings of TMP, have demanded the adoption of the Roman script, arguing that it would make education more accessible for indigenous students. The issue has gained fresh momentum ahead of the upcoming elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), with differences emerging between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally Tipra Motha Party. While Tipra Motha and allied student bodies such as the Tipra Student Federation (TSF) have strongly advocated for the Roman script, the state government has maintained its opposition.

Past Commissions Fail to Find Resolution

The script issue is not new. Two separate commissions were constituted in 1990 and 2004 to examine the matter, but a permanent resolution remains elusive. As political temperature rises in the state, the Kokborok script controversy continues to be a sensitive and significant issue, reflecting broader debates over identity, education, and cultural preservation in Tripura. (ANI)

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