Agartala, Jan 27 (NationPress) In a crucial political turn of events, Tripura's Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday declined the Tipra Motha Party’s (TMP) appeal to implement the Roman script for the tribal Kokborok language, which serves as the native tongue for nine of the 19 tribal communities in the state.

With elections for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) approaching, the Chief Minister’s dismissal of this demand is particularly noteworthy.

While addressing a congregation of tribal individuals at Jolaibari in South Tripura, Saha stated that the BJP government opposes the adoption of any foreign script for the Kokborok language.

“Tribal scholars and language specialists should collaboratively determine an appropriate script for Kokborok, but not the Roman script. Embracing the Roman script could lead the younger generation to entirely lose touch with their traditions, customs, and cultural heritage,” the Chief Minister articulated.

He further remarked that if the Chakma community could successfully create its own script, there’s no justification for the Kokborok speakers to fall behind.

“The persistent demand for the Roman script is creating confusion among our youth,” Saha commented.

Emphasizing that only the BJP can facilitate comprehensive development for indigenous communities, the Chief Minister noted that his administration has undertaken numerous initiatives to foster their economic prosperity, culture, and heritage, including efforts to honor the Manikya dynasty.

“Our party’s presence in tribal regions has significantly increased in recent months. The BJP does not rely on coercion during elections; rather, it aims to win voters' affection through effective governance,” he stated.

In the meantime, the BJP ally and tribal-centric party, TMP, continues to campaign for the adoption of the Roman script for Kokborok.

A TMP spokesperson mentioned that Kokborok, which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman language family, shares a close relationship with other languages from the northeastern region, such as Bodo, Garo, and Dimasa.

According to the 2011 Census, Kokborok is spoken by 880,537 individuals in Tripura, representing 23.97 percent of the state’s total population of around 42 lakh. It is the primary language for nine of the 19 tribal communities in the state, which include the major Kokborok clans: Tripura, Debbarma, Jamatia, Noatia, Murasingh, Reang, Kalai, Rupini, and Uchowi.

Since 1988, two commissions led by tribal leader Shyama Charan Tripura and renowned linguist and academic Pabitra Sarkar have been established to investigate this matter.