A renewed campaign for adopting the Roman script for Kokborok/Kau Bru has gained momentum in Tripura. Pradyot Bikram Manikya DebBarma, the chief of Tipra Motha, along with elected tribal representatives, has formally urged the state government to make a decisive and clear decision on the matter.
Documents reveal that a memorandum was submitted to Chief Minister Manik Saha by members of the Tripura Legislative Assembly and the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, advocating for the Roman script to be recognized as the official script for Kokborok/Kau Bru. The request has been endorsed by numerous tribal representatives, including ministers and MLAs, led by Pradyot Kishore Manikya, Chairman of the Administrative Reform Committee for the TTAADC.
The memorandum emphasizes that the imposition of alternative scripts has hindered the development and acceptance of Kokborok, negatively impacting education, administration, and the empowerment of its speakers. It claims that recognizing the Roman script is constitutionally valid, arguing that failure to do so may contravene Articles 14, 29(1), and 350A of the Constitution, as well as provisions under the Sixth Schedule. Furthermore, it states that the Tripura government has the legal authority to recognize and facilitate the Roman script through official actions or policy changes.
Elected officials have requested that the Roman script be adopted as the official script for Kokborok, that question papers for Kokborok subjects in CBSE, ICSE, and TBSE examinations be printed in Roman script, and that all related textbooks be published accordingly. They also urge that government recruitment exams, including those by the Tripura Public Service Commission, permit the use of Kokborok in Roman script.
The memorandum notes that Kokborok was recognized as a state language in 1979 through an amendment to the Tripura Official Language Act of 1964, highlighting that the demand for the Roman script has persisted since 1967. It references previous reports from language commissions-including those led by Shyama Charan Tripura, Kumud Kunda Chowdhury, and Pabitra Sarkar-which documented substantial support among Kokborok speakers for the Roman script.
In response to this development, Pradyot Bikram Manikya DebBarma stated that Tipra’s elected representatives, including himself, have collectively expressed their “unambiguous support” for the Roman script for Kokborok/Kau Bru to the authorities. He underscored the importance of other elected Tiprasa representatives being clear about their stance on the issue. He warned that any uncertainty or inaction could have significant consequences for children and future generations, transcending political divides.
The debate over the script used for Kokborok is a longstanding and sensitive cultural and political issue in Tripura. Now that formal requests have been presented to the state government and public pressure from tribal leaders is mounting, this matter is again at the forefront of Tripura’s discussions on language and identity.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/tripura/story/roman-script-row-intensifies-in-tripura-as-tipra-leaders-warn-of-generational-cost-1331449-2026-01-15?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-01-15 10:36:00
