Agartala: Several tribal student organisations, led by the Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF) and the Tipra Indigenous Students’ Federation (TISF), on Thursday organised torchlight rallies across Tripura in protest against Chief Minister Manik Saha’s recent remarks on the script of the Kokborok language.
In Agartala, leaders and members of the TSF and TISF began their rally from Swami Vivekananda Maidan, marching through key areas of the city before concluding the procession in front of the Tripura State Museum. Similar torchlight demonstrations were held in other parts of the state.
Kokborok is the most widely spoken language among Tripura’s tribal communities. However, for decades, tribal organisations and student bodies have consistently demanded official recognition of the Roman script as its standard script.
The protests were sparked by the Chief Minister’s suggestion that Kokborok speakers consider adopting an indigenous script instead of the Roman script, arguing that such a move could strengthen the case for including the language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
The script issue has repeatedly led to controversy, including during Tripura Board examinations, when disagreements arose over the script in which students should write their answers. While such disputes were temporarily resolved through government intervention, the broader debate over the script has remained unsettled.
Following the Chief Minister’s remarks, the Tipra Motha Party strongly criticised the statement, prompting student organisations to announce the torchlight rallies.
Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman also participated in a torchlight rally in South Tripura district as part of his campaign for the forthcoming Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections.
Addressing protesters in Agartala, TSF leader John Debbarma said the community had been denied the right to use its preferred script for nearly five decades. He accused successive governments of failing to deliver justice on the issue and warned that the community would no longer remain silent.
TSF general secretary Hamalu Jamatia said several other student organisations, including those representing the Bru, Kaipeng and Mizo communities, extended solidarity with the Homchang (torch) rallies.
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The protesters reiterated their demand for official recognition of the Roman script for Kokborok and urged the government to initiate meaningful dialogue with stakeholders to resolve the long-pending issue.
