Agartala, February 9, 2024: The TIPRA Motha, Tripura’s principal opposition party, has escalated its demand for allowing students to write their Kokborok language papers in Roman script during the upcoming class 10 and 12 board examinations. In a press conference held at the Manikya Court in the capital, the organization declared an indefinite closure of the Assam-Agartala National Highway and the railway line.
The controversy centers around the use of script for the Kokborok language examination. The TIPRA Motha alleges that Tripura Board of Secondary Education Chairman Dr. Dhananjay Gan Chowdhury has been inconsistent in his statements regarding the Roman script. Consequently, they have taken the drastic step of blocking critical transportation routes until their demand is met.
Their specific request is for the state Chief Minister and Education Minister Professor Dr. Manik Saha to issue a written order permitting Kokborok language answer sheets to be written in Roman script. The TIPRA Motha contends that this issue infringes upon the constitutional right to freedom and disregards the 2020 Education Policy. They seek clarity on why the proposed education system, aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of promoting regional education and languages, has not been implemented in Tripura.
The indefinite highway blockade is poised to impact transportation and underscores the urgency of resolving this linguistic dispute.
