Kokborok Script Row: Pradyot Rejects CM’s Kokborok Script Plan
Agartala Dec 14: “Hum accept nehi kortey” (we do not accept it), Tipra Motha Party (TMP) chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarma said rejecting Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha’s suggestion relating to Kokborok script issue.
His response followed Dr Saha’s suggestion that an indigenous script be developed for Kokborok instead of continuing the demand for the Roman script.
In a video statement, Pradyot Kishore acknowledged the suggestion but made it clear that it was unacceptable to him.
I Watch video here : Pradyot Kishore’s statement I
Justifying his reaction, Pradyot Kishore said developing the indigenous script may take time – like 10 years.
“99 percent of the people, 99 percent of the people reject the Bengali script. And when we have clearly said that we want the Roman script, then this is our internal matter. Why should anyone else tell us to develop our own script, and until it is developed, keep writing in Bengali”, he asked.
He asserted that the authority to decide the script rests solely with the Kokborok-speaking Tiprasa (Janajati) community, not with political figures while anyone can make suggestions. .
“Indigenous communities must retain the freedom to choose their own script”, he said.
Pradyot Kishore criticised BJP leaders for questioning the adoption of the Roman script by indigenous communities and branding it as “foreign” and a legacy of colonialism.
I Also read: CM calls for Indigenous Script for Kokborok I
Taking a swipe at the BJP leadership, he remarked that if they oppose the Roman script, they should also stop sending their children to English-medium schools, accusing them of double standards.
The TMP supremo also demanded that question papers be made available in English and that students be permitted to write examinations in English, warning against political intrusion into the education of indigenous children.
He further pointed out that Roman script has already been accepted in BJP ruled Assam.
The controversy surrounding the use of the Roman script for the Kokborok language once again dominated Tripura’s political narrative after the Tipra Motha leader issued a sharp counterattack against comments made by senior BJP leaders.
According to political analysts, statement and counter-statement on this issue has once again pushed the Roman script debate to the forefront of Tripura’s political discourse, especially in the run-up to the ADC elections.
Pradyot Kishore also brushed aside BJP leaders claim of clean sweep in TTAADC polls.
Attendence in my block-level programs are much larger than BJP’s state-level events.