Agartala: Tipra Motha Party founder and head of Tripura’s Manikya Dynasty, Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarman, has called for immediate action from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to ensure that Kokborok question papers are printed in the Roman script.
He highlighted that despite repeated demands, the issue has been ignored by authorities for years.
Debbarman argued that the absence of question papers in the Roman script is unfair to students and affects their academic performance. In a letter to the minister, he stated, “I write to you with utmost urgency on behalf of the Kokborok-speaking community of Tripura to address a critical and long-standing issue that undermines academic fairness in TBSE and CBSE examinations.”
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Kokborok, a Tibeto-Burmese language spoken by the indigenous Tiprasa people, holds official status in Tripura. However, Debbarman pointed out that while students are allowed to write exams in either Bengali or Roman script, the question papers are only provided in Bengali, disregarding the preference of most Kokborok-speaking students.
He emphasized that Roman script is more compatible with Kokborok’s syllables and vocabulary and is widely used by the community. Despite continuous protests from students and organizations, no lasting solution has been implemented.
Last year, a decision by the Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) to mandate the Bengali script for writing exams led to widespread backlash, forcing the state government to intervene temporarily. However, the issue persists, putting Kokborok-speaking students at a disadvantage.
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Debbarman noted that the problem resurfaced during the recent TBSE Class X and XII exams held on February 27 and 28, causing distress among students. With the CBSE Class X exams scheduled for March 17, he urged immediate corrective action.
“Temporary solutions are no longer enough. The government must ensure that Kokborok question papers are available in both Bengali and Roman scripts in TBSE and CBSE exams. This is not just about fairness but also about preserving cultural and linguistic rights,” Debbarman wrote.
He concluded by urging the Education Minister to act swiftly, stating that the future of thousands of Kokborok-speaking students depends on a prompt resolution.