Around 300 protesters, including women, were detained in Dhalai and West Tripura districts as the influential Twipra Students Federation (TSF) held a 12-hour bandh in Tripura on Monday. The protesters were demanding the introduction of the Roman script for the tribal Kokborok language and the passage of the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill. The bandh did not have much impact in the state.
The TSF activities demonstrated in more than six places across the state to support their demands. Police officials in Agartala reported that no major untoward incidents occurred during the protests. While the shutdown had limited impact, some highways experienced brief disruptions in vehicular movement as demonstrators held their protests.
The President of TSF, Samrat Debbarma, and General Secretary Hamulu Jamatia, stated that they had previously met with Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya and Chief Minister Manik Saha to submit memoranda regarding their demands. However, they expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of favorable action taken by the government on both issues.
The demands revolve around the introduction of the Roman script for the Kokborok language and the approval of the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill. The bill, originally tabled in the Rajya Sabha in 2019, aims to strengthen the 6th Schedule of the Constitution. This schedule pertains to ten tribal autonomous bodies in northeastern states, including Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura.
The Kokborok language holds particular significance in Tripura, where 70% of the 12 lakh tribal population speak it. It was recognized as the second official language by the then CPI-M led Left Front government in 1979. However, a recent issue emerged when students in various schools, particularly those under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), were instructed to write answers for the Kokborok subject in the Bengali script during board examinations.
The demand for the Roman script for Kokborok gained traction following this development. The Kokborok debate, spanning over five decades, has seen differing opinions on whether to use the Bengali or Roman script. The majority of tribal intellectuals and academicians advocate for the Roman script, asserting its connection to other languages in the northeastern region.
The Twipra Students Federation and other related groups, such as the Tribal-based party Tipra Motha Party (TMP), have been conducting various agitational programs to press for their language-related demands. The TSF leaders warned of intensifying their protests if the government continues to remain unresponsive to their demands.
The situation sheds light on the intricate linguistic and cultural landscape of Tripura, where demands for language reforms are closely tied to issues of identity and autonomy.
