Agartala: Widespread road and railway disruptions have paralyzed several areas of Tripura, particularly in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), as indigenous student bodies and civil society organizations enforce an indefinite blockade on national highways and railways.
The primary demand behind this unrest is the insistence on using the Roman script for Kokborok subject exams conducted by the Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE).
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Twipra Student’s Federation Vice President John Debbarma said, “Our protest advocates for the adoption of the Roman script for the Kokborok language in board exams. We have submitted a memorandum to the TBSE president, but there has been no response from the government. The imposition of a script not favoured by indigenous people infringes on the fundamental rights of students.”
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“The government’s forceful imposition disregards the wishes of the indigenous population, putting them at risk. There is a clear failure on the part of the government to safeguard the interests of the indigenous people,” he said.
In contrast, Jagadish Debbarma, a senior leader of Tipra Motha and Chairman of TTAADC, clarified that they are not against the Bengali script or the Roman script. He highlighted that for Kokborok-speaking individuals, the Roman script is more accessible.
However, he criticized the state government for abruptly instructing students that action would be taken if they used the Bengali script in TBSE board exams.