Agartala, March 21: Amid an indefinite statewide strike from today called by the Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF) demanding the adoption of the Roman script for Kokborok, members of the tribal students’ organization blocked the VIP road leading to the Airport, Assembly, and High Court in Agartala on Friday.
The protest coincided with the first day of Tripura’s Budget Session, intensifying their decades-old demand for script reform.
Hundreds of TSF and YTF activists gathered near key intersections, disrupting vehicular movement and raising slogans in favor of their demand. The protest led to massive traffic congestion, with commuters facing delays as security personnel struggled to clear the blockade.
Speaking to the media, TSF in-charge and YTF general secretary James Debbarma asserted that their demand for the Roman script for Kokborok had been ignored for over five decades despite repeated assurances from successive governments.
He accused the state government of failing to recognize the preference of a large section of the indigenous community, who find Roman script more accessible than the Bengali script currently used in official records and education.
Sighting the example of formation of Bangladesh and due to imposition of Urdu over Bengali script, the TSF leader said that the state government has time and again failed to address the aspirations of indigenous communities.
“The Roman script is widely used among Kokborok speakers, and we will not back down until our demand is met,” said the TSF leader at the protest site.
The blockade in the prime road ahead of the Assembly was seen as a direct challenge to the government on the first day of the Budget Session as Ministers and MLAs had to take a derivation from the protest site in Circuit House area.
Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies were deployed in large numbers to prevent any untoward incidents. Officials urged protesters to vacate the roads, warning of legal action if the disruptions continued.
The TSF has vowed to continue its indefinite strike until the government takes concrete steps toward implementing the Roman script for Kokborok.
