Tripura CM rejects TMP’s demand for Roman script for tribal Kokborok language 

Agartala, Jan 27 (IANS) In a significant political development, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday rejected the Tipra Motha Party’s (TMP) demand to introduce the Roman script for the tribal Kokborok language, the mother tongue of nine of the 19 tribal communities residing in the state. 

The Chief Minister’s rejection of the demand assumes significance months ahead of the elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). 

Addressing a gathering of tribal people at Jolaibari in South Tripura, Saha said that the BJP government is not in favour of adopting any foreign script for the Kokborok language. 

“Tribal intellectuals and linguistic experts can mutually decide a suitable script for Kokborok, but not the Roman script. If the Roman script is adopted, the younger generation of the tribal community may completely forget their traditions, customs, and culture,” the Chief Minister said. 

He added that if the Chakma community could develop its own script, there was no reason for Kokborok-speaking people to lag. 

“The younger generation is being confused by repeatedly raising the demand for the Roman script for Kokborok,” Saha said. 

Claiming that only the BJP could ensure the holistic development of indigenous people, the Chief Minister said his government has taken several steps to promote their economic well-being, culture, and traditions, including initiatives to honour the Manikya dynasty. 

“Our party organisation has further strengthened in tribal areas in recent months. The BJP does not impose force in the electoral process; instead, it seeks to win the hearts of voters through performance,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the BJP’s ally and tribal-based party TMP has been agitating for the introduction of the Roman script for Kokborok. 

A TMP leader said that Kokborok, belonging to the Tibeto-Burman language family, is closely related to other languages of the northeastern region, such as Bodo, Garo, and Dimasa. 

According to the 2011 Census, Kokborok is spoken by 8,80,537 people in Tripura, accounting for 23.97 per cent of the state’s total population of around 42 lakh. It is the mother tongue of nine of the 19 tribal communities in the state. There are nine major Kokborok clans -- Tripura, Debbarma, Jamatia, Noatia, Murasingh, Reang, Kalai, Rupini, and Uchowi. 

Since 1988, two commissions headed by tribal leader Shyama Charan Tripura and noted linguist and academician Pabitra Sarkar have been constituted to examine the issue. 

--IANS 

sc/dan