BY TC News Desk
Agartala, February 15: The Tripura Students Union (TSU) has alleged that the TIPRA Motha, a regional indigenous political party, is trying to ruin the future of students by playing dirty politics over the Kokborok script issue. The TSU made this accusation in a press conference at Chhatra-Yuva Bhavan on Thursday.
Kokborok is a tribal language spoken by about 10 lakh people, mainly in the state of Tripura and also in Assam and Bangladesh. It has been an official language in Tripura since 1979, and has been taught and used as a medium of instruction in primary and secondary schools since the 1980s.
The TSU claimed that it was the first to raise the demand of writing Kokborok in the Roman script, which is widely used and understood by the Kokborok speakers. The TSU said that the state government had accepted its demand and given permission to write Kokborok in the Roman script in the Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) examinations.
However, the TSU alleged that the TIPRA Motha had created a drama by demanding the same thing and calling for a statewide strike on February 12. The TSU said that the TIPRA Motha had staged a play called Motha called ‘Bandh’, with Kokborok written in the Roman script, to mislead the people and gain political mileage. The TSU also said that the TIPRA Motha’s demands were fulfilled within 12 hours of making them, which showed that they had no genuine concern for the Kokborok language or the students.
A student leader of the TSU said that the TIPRA Motha’s strike would disrupt the education of the students, especially those who have board exams. He said that the TSU would oppose the strike and appeal to the students to attend their exams without fear. He also urged the government to ensure the safety and security of the students and the examination centres.
