A sit-in demonstration took place in the North Gate area in Agartala today (June 7) over Roman script for Kokbarok issue.
The demonstration was organized by Roman Script for Kokborok Choba, which is a conglomeration of 56 organizations.
The primary objective of the protest was to advocate for the adoption of the Roman script for the Kokborok language.
Bikashrai Debbarma, Chairman of Roman Script for Kokborok Choba, highlighted that the demonstration involved representatives and members from all 56 organizations, united in their singular demand for the use of the Roman script in Kokborok.
The focus of the protesters was to urge the State government and the relevant authorities to address what they perceive as language discrimination.
According to Debbarma, Kokborok is their language, and the individuals who speak it should be regarded as the genuine stakeholders who have the right to make decisions regarding the script to be employed. This emphasis on self-determination stems from the belief that the choice of script should be a decision made by those who are intimately connected to the language.
Debbarma, who is also a well-known cultural activist within the state, expressed his disappointment and said, “Despite the Tripura Assembly passing a bill in 1979 to declare Kokborok as an official language, there has been a lack of tangible progress in the language’s development.
Furthermore, he criticized both past and present governments for their failure to make definitive decisions regarding the script issue, which holds significant importance for any language.
He also said, ”A committee was established during the tenure of the Left Front government, and the results of a survey indicated that 67.08% of the respondents favored the use of the Roman script for Kokborok”.
However, no meaningful steps were taken between 2004 and 2023 to implement this preference, thereby neglecting the voices of the language’s genuine stakeholders, he alleged.
In the event that the government fails to address their demand, Debbarma issued a warning that an extensive movement would be initiated in the near future.