We will never allow Roman script for Kokborok, says Tripura CM

The Tripura government on Tuesday ruled out the introduction of the Roman script for Kokborok , the mother tongue of 19 tribal communities in the state, saying it would threaten indigenous culture and traditions, even as the demand has been raised by the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) ahead of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said the government would “never allow” the Roman script for Kokborok as it could alienate the younger generation from their cultural roots.

“We will never allow Roman script for Kokborok because it poses a threat to indigenous tradition and culture. If Roman script is adopted, the young generation will completely forget their culture,” Saha said while addressing a party programme at Jolaibari in South Tripura.

Kokborok is spoken by most of the state’s 19 tribes, which together have a population of around 14 lakh. The script issue has resurfaced in the run-up to the TTAADC polls.

The chief minister said the government was not insisting on Bengali or any other script for Kokborok and instead urged tribal intellectuals to work towards developing an indigenous script for the language.

“If the Chakma community can develop its own script, why should Kokborok-speaking people remain laggards? The young generation is being confused by repeatedly raising the script issue,” he said.

The demand for the Roman script has been raised by the TMP, an ally of the ruling BJP and a major political force in tribal areas. Party leaders and supporters have argued that the Roman script would make Kokborok easier to learn and help standardise its teaching, particularly among students.

Supporters of the demand have also said the Roman script is already widely used in informal communication and publications, and its formal adoption would improve access to education and administration in tribal areas.

The 28-member TTAADC covers nearly two-thirds of Tripura’s geographical area. The BJP had contested 11 seats and won nine in the last council elections, while the TMP won 18 seats in the 2021 polls and formed the council. The tenure of the present council is set to end on April 18.

Saha said the BJP’s organisation was strong in tribal areas and that the party sought to win elections through performance rather than force.