‘No outsider can give any diktat’: Pradyot Debbarma on Kokborok script debate

Tipra Motha Party (TMP) chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma on December 14 drew a firm line over the Kokborok language debate, asserting that the choice of script is an internal matter of the Tiprasa people and not open to direction from outside.

His remarks came a day after Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha suggested at a rally that an indigenous script should be developed for Kokborok, instead of the Roman script demanded by several tribal leaders. Kokborok is spoken by around 19 indigenous communities across the state.

“The choice of script for Kokborok is the internal issue of the Tiprasa people,” Debbarma said in a video message posted on social media. “No outsider can give any diktat to Tiprasa people on which script to use for writing examinations.”

Without naming the chief minister, the TMP supremo questioned the logic behind opposing the Roman script. “If you have reservations regarding English because the British ruled the country, then tell ministers and MLAs not to send their children to English-medium schools,” he said.

Debbarma also cited examples from neighbouring states, arguing that Tripura’s indigenous people should not be treated differently. He pointed out that students in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district are allowed to write their tribal language using the Roman script. “Why should Tiprasa people of Tripura be deprived of their choice?” he asked.

Drawing a historical parallel, Debbarma referred to the language movement in erstwhile East Pakistan. “Pakistan had tried to impose Urdu on Bengali-speaking people, but the people did not accept it and launched massive protests,” he said, adding that the resistance eventually led to the creation of Bangladesh.

The TMP leader also took a swipe at the BJP’s Janajati Morcha rally held on Saturday, claiming greater grassroots support for his party. “The crowd in our block-level rally is five times more than your state-level programme. Everybody knows the ground reality,” he said. “I may not have all the power that you have, but I have the support of the Tiprasa people.”

Responding to Chief Minister Saha’s claim that the BJP would win all 28 seats in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) in the next elections, Debbarma said, “Show us by winning all the seats.”

Elections to the TTAADC, which is currently run by the TMC, an ally of the BJP, are scheduled to be held early next year.