Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha delivered a resounding no to the Tipra Motha Party’s (TMP) call for Roman script for Kokborok, spoken natively by nine of the state’s 19 tribal communities—a move timed just before TTAADC elections.
From the podium in Jolaibari, South Tripura, Saha told the cheering crowd that BJP rejects foreign influences on tribal languages outright. ‘Consensus among experts for a native script? Yes. Roman? Absolutely not,’ he stated unequivocally.
Cultural preservation topped his rationale: Roman adoption risks disconnecting youth from customs and ancestry. Citing Chakma’s indigenous script triumph, Saha prodded Kokborok speakers to lead, not lag.
‘Recurrent Roman demands sow confusion among the young,’ he charged.
Saha showcased BJP’s indigenous agenda: welfare schemes, cultural promotions, Manikya dynasty tributes, and grassroots party growth in tribal zones via performance, eschewing intimidation.
TMP presses on with its campaign, noting Kokborok’s affinities with Tibeto-Burman kin like Bodo, Garo, and Dimasa.
This clash within the NDA fold spotlights broader battles over linguistic evolution and ethnic pride in Northeast India.