BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 19th February 2026: Pradesh Congress spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty today delivered a wide-ranging critique of the state government and ruling coalition during a press conference, addressing several pressing issues including the proposed Bishramganj municipal council, the Kokborok script controversy, allegations related to the Autonomous District Council (ADC), education policy, forest rights, and the deteriorating law and order situation.
Chakraborty clarified that the Congress is not opposed in principle to the formation of a municipal council in Bishramganj. However, he stressed that the mixed demography of the area and its proximity to ADC regions warranted the creation of a special commission to gather public opinion and implement decisions based on consensus.
He accused the Tipra Motha leadership of “double standards,” pointing out that while they opposed the municipal council citing ADC inclusion, district officials confirmed that no ADC land was part of the proposal and that local legislators and MDCs had agreed to the plan.
The Congress leader blamed both the central government and the ruling Tipra Motha in the ADC for enabling arbitrary land transfers. He alleged that the cancellation of village committees had opened the door to unchecked land handovers, often bypassing legal safeguards. Chakraborty further claimed that valuable plots were handed over to industrialists without adherence to proper procedures, though he did not present documentary evidence to support these charges.
On the ongoing demand to introduce Roman script for Kokborok, Chakraborty argued that raising the issue during examination season was misleading students. He reminded that Kokborok grammar was first codified in Bengali script in the late 19th century and has long been practiced in that form.
Citing the recommendations of a commission led by linguist Pabitra Sarkar, he noted that no script should be imposed and the decision should rest with indigenous communities. He also criticized the 2020 National Education Policy and school mergers, claiming they have worsened dropout rates in hill areas by pushing schools farther from villages.
Chakraborty accused the ruling coalition of internal conflicts, corruption, and failing to maintain law and order. He highlighted incidents of attacks on journalists, threats in court premises, protests outside editors’ homes, and highway blockades, alleging police inaction in each case.
Calling the press the “fourth pillar of democracy,” he urged collective action to safeguard media freedom and appealed to the state’s youth and peace-loving citizens to weigh these issues carefully in shaping future decisions.
