Agartala, Jan 19: The long-standing demand for official recognition of the Roman script for the Kokborok language resurfaced prominently during the 48th Kokborok Day celebrations in Agartala on Monday, with indigenous student groups staging protests that briefly disrupted the cultural programme and brought the issue back into the political spotlight ahead of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections.
Hundreds of students—both tribal and non-tribal—took part in a colourful rally from the Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan area to mark Kokborok Day.
However, the event took a political turn as activists of the Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF) and Tribal Indigenous Students’ Federation (TISF) joined the procession, raising slogans and displaying placards demanding official recognition of the Roman script alongside the Bengali script.
Police initially attempted to stop the protesters, but the demonstrators continued marching. Near the Congress Bhavan area, additional forces from West Agartala Police Station cordoned off the group as slogans intensified. Despite the restrictions, the main rally continued, with several participants breaking away to join the protest in solidarity.
Speaking to reporters, student leaders said they were not opposed to the Bengali script, which already has official status for Kokborok, but were demanding equal recognition of the Roman script, describing it as a five-decade-old demand of a large section of Kokborok speakers.
The protest triggered sharp political reactions. Former minister and BJP MLA Rampada Jamatia, who participated in the rally along with former BJP MLA Dr Atul Debbarma, alleged that the Roman script demand was part of a “foreign conspiracy” and claimed that the long-running script dispute would be resolved soon through the introduction of a new indigenous script for Kokborok.
Earlier, Chief Minister Manik Saha had ruled out the adoption of any foreign script for Kokborok and urged Kokborok-speaking intellectuals to develop an indigenous alternative. His remarks had drawn protests from TIPRA Motha, the BJP’s key ally, exposing growing differences within the ruling coalition.
Observed annually to mark the recognition of Kokborok as an official language 48 years ago, Kokborok Day has traditionally focused on cultural expression. This year, however, the event once again underscored how the script issue remains deeply linked to indigenous identity and electoral politics in the state.
With the TTAADC elections expected within the next two months and tensions visible between the BJP and TIPRA Motha, the Kokborok script debate—particularly the demand for Roman script recognition—is widely expected to emerge as one of the most emotive and decisive issues in the upcoming polls.
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