Agartala: Rajeswar Debbarma, a prominent leader of the TIPRA Motha party and former Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Tripura, has recently written a letter to Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, advocating for the implementation of the Roman script in writing the Kokborok language.
Kokborok, an indigenous language spoken by the Tripuri community in Tripura, holds the status of an official language in the state. Traditionally, the Bengali script has been used for writing Kokborok. However, there has been a growing demand for the adoption of the Roman script as an alternative writing system.
In his letter to the Chief Minister, Debbarma highlighted the potential benefits of transitioning to the Roman script. He argued that this shift would enhance accessibility and facilitate the learning process for younger generations and non-native speakers of Kokborok. By aligning the language with the Roman script, advocates believe that it would pave the way for greater usage in education, literature, and digital communication.
The move to promote the Roman script for Kokborok is seen as a means to empower the language and preserve its cultural heritage. Advocates emphasize that embracing the Roman script would open doors to new opportunities for Kokborok speakers, enabling them to participate more actively in a globalized world.
Language-related decisions, including script changes, involve careful considerations encompassing linguistic factors, cultural significance, historical context, and the preferences of native speakers. Consequently, it falls upon relevant authorities and linguistic experts in Tripura to assess the feasibility and desirability of adopting the Roman script for Kokborok.
The appeal made by Rajeswar Debbarma, a respected figure in the state’s political landscape, has drawn attention to the ongoing discourse surrounding the script for Kokborok. It remains to be seen how the government and language experts will respond to this request and whether it will lead to any policy changes regarding the writing system of the Kokborok language.
