Review on: Dual Script policy for Kokborok by the State Government of Tripura

While it is important to celebrate the long struggle of the people to get Kokborok recognized as a state official language, indeed, there should be a day to honour the importance of one’s language, it is also equally important to address the issues we still continue to face today. 

Picture from 47th Kokborok Day Celebration
Courtesy: Ratan Lal Nath|FB

This year marks the 47th anniversary of the recognition of Kokborok as an official language of Tripura. Since its designation on January 19, 1979, almost five decades have passed, yet it continues to struggle to meet the basic requirements of becoming a fully developed language. The Official Language (Amendment) Act, 1979, mandates that Kokborok, alongside English and Bengali, hold equal status. This implies that all government-related activities or publications whether promotional or related to public awareness must be presented in all three languages. While English and Bengali are consistently represented, with one sometimes overshadowing the other, the same cannot be said for Kokborok. For almost five decades, Kokborok has faced underrepresentation and misrepresentation at various levels. Furthermore, the critical issue of its script has been consistently sidelined.

Although there has been one committee and one commission recommending the use of the Roman script for Kokborok, the Bengali script has been imposed strictly upon the Kokborok-speaking communities by the State Government.  

Every year, January 19 is celebrated as Kokborok Day or Kokborok (Recognition) Day. This day is observed across the state, particularly in schools and colleges, to commemorate the recognition of Kokborok as an official language. The state government’s official celebration, held annually at Rabindra Bhawan, invites participation from various schools in rallies and cultural programs. And like every year dual Script policy of the government for Kokborok have favoured the Bengali script over Roman Script as all the playcard are in Bengali script even the students of English Medium and CBSE Schools are been forced to carry the playcard written in Bengali script which the students carrying it may not have been able to read let alone know the meaning. However, what stood out this year was the inclusion of both the Bengali and Roman scripts in the official program schedule by the Directorate of Kokborok and Other Minority Languages. This inclusion no doubt may have brought hope and joy to many who support the dual script policy.  

The movement for the government to properly adopt the Policy of Dual Script for Kokborok for further inclusion have been always sidelined as Bengali script is consistently forced upon the Kokborok speaking people against their will, but there have been some developments in recent times. On February 12, 2024, the state government decided to maintain the status quo regarding the dual script policy, allowing both the Bengali and Roman scripts to appear in the TBSE/CBSE board exams for the Kokborok subject. This decision came after intense protests led by the Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF) and the TIPRA Indigenous Students’ Federation (TISF), which included statewide strikes and road blockades. The protests were triggered after the President of TBSE refused to permit the use of the Roman script in board exams, enforcing the exclusive use of the Bengali script for writing the Kokborok subject. 

With the TSF continuing its agitations during the Winter Session of the Tripura Legislative Assembly, the issue of Kokborok script has again resurfaced in 2025 too, demanding that the government resolve the script issue. Despite the dual script policy, the Roman script has historically faced marginalization, with the Bengali script being imposed. However, recent developments, such as the inclusion of the Roman script in official celebrations related to Kokborok, have reignited hope among the people advocating for its recognition.  

The dual script policy for Kokborok remains a controversial issue, but these small steps may pave the way for a more inclusive and representative future for the language.