Agartala: Mar 21: The Tripura Indigenous Students Federation (TISF) took a firm stance on their demand for the recognition of the Roman script for the Kokborok language on Friday. Early in the morning, TISF members locked the Sudhanya Debbarma Memorial School in Jampuijla and blocked the Jampuijla-Jirania Road near the subdivision office. This demonstration was led by TISF General Secretary Hamulo Debbarma.
Reports suggest that the demand for the adoption of the Roman script for Kokborok has been a longstanding issue raised by TISF. The protests significantly disrupted the Kokborok subject examination under the Tripura Board of Secondary Education’s (TBSE) higher secondary exams. The Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) also voiced its support for the protest. Despite a closed-door meeting on Thursday night led by Chief Minister Professor Dr. Manik Saha and attended by Tipra Motha Supremo Pradyot Kishore Deb Barma, no resolution was reached on the issue.
As a result, TISF initiated its planned state-wide road blockade program on Friday morning. This caused significant traffic disruptions, leaving many vehicles and commuters stranded, including office-goers, court employees, and students traveling for examinations.
Simultaneously, the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC) blocked roads in several key locations, including Bishramganj Master Para on the Agartala-Sonamura Road, Golaghati Dayaram Para on the Golaghati-Jampuijla Road, and near the Jampuijla Sub-Divisional Officer’s office on the Jampuijla-Jirania Road. Roads in Bishramganj Dewan Bazar on the Agartala-Udaipur Road and Chelikhla on the Agartala-Boxnagar Road were also obstructed, adding to the chaos. The widespread blockades affected numerous commuters and further disrupted the Kokborok examination under the TBSE scheduled for the day.
This demonstration reflects the mounting pressure from indigenous organizations on the government to recognize their linguistic demands. The situation has underscored the urgency for a resolution to prevent further inconvenience to the public.
