The Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF) on Tuesday staged a sit-in protest at the Circuit House area in Agartala, once again pressing for their long-standing demand to adopt the Roman script for the Kokborok language. The demonstration drew significant attention as members of the indigenous student body reiterated that the script choice for Kokborok should rest with its native speakers.
Speaking to the media, TSF leader John Debbarma asserted that the indigenous people of Tripura, as the primary speakers of Kokborok, have the fundamental right to decide the script best suited for their language. “We have been demanding the Roman script for a long time. Kokborok belongs to us, the indigenous community, and it is our right to choose the script we want to use,” Debbarma stated.
He expressed frustration over the state government’s lack of response despite persistent efforts by TSF, which include meetings with the Chief Minister and cabinet ministers, repeated submission of memorandums, and earlier protest programmes. “Through today’s protest, we want to send a clear message that our demand remains unchanged. We want Kokborok textbooks to be printed in the Roman script and examination question papers to be set in the Roman script. Choosing our script is our democratic right,” he added.
Protesters cautioned that if the government continues to ignore the demand, the agitation will escalate in the coming days. “The government must change its mindset and respond promptly. Otherwise, we will intensify our protest in a much bigger way,” they warned.
The demand for adopting the Roman script for Kokborok has resurfaced repeatedly over the years, with indigenous groups and student organizations arguing that the Roman script is easier to learn, widely accepted, and better suited for preserving and promoting the language.
