NEWay EP 118 | Tripura Govt To Write To CBSE To Allow Kokborok In Roman ScriptIn a recent assembly session, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha announced plans to appeal to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), urging them to permit tribal students to answer 'Kokborok' subject exams in both Bengali and Roman scripts. 'Kokborok,' the second official language of Tripura, serves as the mother tongue for a significant tribal population, constituting one-third of the state's four million inhabitants. The Opposition, represented by Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and CPI-M members, emphasised the need for students to have the option of writing in both scripts to safeguard the academic future of approximately 5,000 tribal students. During the Winter Session, TMP's Animesh Debbarma raised the issue, seeking the choice for students appearing for Kokborok exams in CBSE-affiliated schools. Currently, these students are compelled to write in Bengali, a language that may not be comfortable for many. Supporting Debbarma's stance, former minister Jitendra Chowdhury highlighted the existing option in the state's education system, allowing students to choose between Roman and Bengali scripts for Kokborok subjects from primary to university levels. He noted that when given the option, 99 percent of students prefer the Roman script. The Chief Minister, also holding the Education portfolio, informed the Assembly that a three-member committee, led by former MLA Atul Debbarma, has been tasked to address the issue. The government awaits the committee's report before taking further action. TMP has been actively advocating for the introduction of the Roman script for Kokborok and has led agitations across Tripura. The longstanding debate over the use of Bengali and Roman scripts for Kokborok has continued for over five decades. While some Kokborok speakers prefer Bengali, the majority of tribal intellectuals and academicians advocate the Roman script. Two commissions have been set up on the issue since 1988, led by tribal leader Shyama Charan Tripura and linguist-academician Pabitra Sarkar. A TMP leader even emphasised Kokborok as the tribal people's mother tongue, belonging to the Tibeto-Burman family, and sharing affinities with other northeastern languages such as Bodo, Garo, and Dimasa.For more news and updates from the northeast follow #NEWay on ABPLive.