New Delhi: Expressing concern regarding the Sub-Committee for the Upgrading and Restructuring of Kokborok Textbooks for Classes IX to XII, which has declared that literary works in the Roman script will not be included in the revised syllabus, royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma stated that the TIPRA Motha Party is united in this demand.
He emphasized that addressing these issues is crucial for the protection, preservation, and advancement of the Kokborok language. In his statement, Pradyot highlighted that the call for the Roman script in Kokborok is a long-standing and widely endorsed aspiration among the indigenous population of Tripura.
The majority of native Kokborok speakers have consistently shown a preference for the Roman script, as it better reflects the phonetics, syllabic structure, and vocabulary of the Kokborok language. ‘We, the TIPRA Motha Party, have been strong proponents of adopting the Roman script for Kokborok and remain steadfast in this demand.
We oppose recent proposals from certain organizations that suggest including Kokborok in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution with only Devanagari or Bengali as its official script. Other indigenous languages in the Northeast, such as Mizo in Mizoram and Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia in Meghalaya, as well as Nagamese in Nagaland, have set precedents by officially using the Roman script for their languages, even without recognition in the 8th Schedule.
These instances demonstrate that the choice of script falls under the jurisdiction of the state government and can be determined independently of central legislation. Therefore, we urge the Government of Tripura to officially adopt the Roman script for Kokborok, in accordance with the cultural, educational, and linguistic realities of the indigenous people of Tripura,’ he stated. Pradyot also pointed out a related concern regarding the exclusive use of the Bengali script for Kokborok in CBSE and TBSE examination papers.
Pradyot expressed that a significant ongoing issue is the exclusive use of Bengali script for Kokborok in the examination papers of CBSE and TBSE. He highlighted that CBSE has permitted bilingual question papers (in English and Bengali) for 96 Vidyajyoti schools in the state to better serve students who are more proficient in Bengali.
To ensure fairness and equity, it is crucial to extend similar provisions to Kokborok students, whose requests have been ignored for many years. Additionally, he raised concerns regarding the recent ruling by the Sub-Committee for Syllabus Upgrading and Restructuring of Kokborok Textbooks for Classes IX to XII, which declares that literary works in Roman script will not be included in the revised syllabus.
This decision warrants reevaluation, as it fails to acknowledge the linguistic landscape of the state, where a significant portion of Kokborok literature is produced in Roman script. The TIPRA Motha Party is united in this cause and asserts that addressing these matters is vital for the safeguarding, preservation, and advancement of Kokborok.
