"Foreign script threatens identity": Tripura CM Manik Saha rejects Roman script for Kokborok

In a firm reiteration of the state government’s stand, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday, February 14, rejected the demand to introduce the Roman script for Kokborok, reigniting a decades-old linguistic and political debate in state. The statement comes amid renewed protests and heightened political activity ahead of the upcoming elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

Kokborok, spoken by nearly 14 lakh people across 19 indigenous communities in the state, has long been at the centre of a contentious script debate. For years, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and its student wings, including the Tipra Indigenous Student Federation (TISF) and the Twipra Students Federation (TSF), have been demanding the adoption of the Roman script. They argue that the move would make education more accessible for indigenous students and help standardise learning materials.

The issue has resurfaced with renewed intensity in the run-up to the TTAADC polls, exposing visible differences between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally, the Tipra Motha Party. While Tipra Motha and its allied student organisations have strongly advocated for the Roman script, the state government has maintained that such a shift would be inappropriate.

Speaking exclusively to ANI amid statewide protests demanding the Roman script, Chief Minister Saha asserted that adopting what he described as a “foreign script” could pose a threat to indigenous identity and traditional culture. He reiterated that the government does not support the Roman script for Kokborok and instead favours alternatives such as the use of Devanagiri or the development of a new script rooted in indigenous heritage.