Pradyot Urges Union Education Minister to allow Roman Script for Kokborok in TBSE, CBSE exams

Founder of the Tipra Motha Party, Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, has urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to take immediate action to permit the use of the Roman script for the Kokborok language in examinations conducted by the Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

In a letter addressed to the minister, Pradyot highlighted the longstanding concerns of the Kokborok-speaking community regarding the script used in academic assessments. 

He described the issue as a critical roadblock to the academic success of indigenous students and called for urgent intervention.

"Kokborok, a significant Tibeto-Burmese language spoken by the indigenous Tiprasa people, is not only the state language of Tripura but also an essential part of our cultural identity. However, the unresolved debate over the script in which it is taught and examined has caused persistent confusion and disadvantage for students," Pradyot wrote.

He pointed out that while students have been given the choice to write their answers in either Bengali or Roman script, the question papers are consistently printed in Bengali script. This, he argued, disregards the fact that Roman script is more widely used and preferred by the majority of Kokborok speakers due to its compatibility with the language’s phonetics and vocabulary.

Pradyot recalled last year’s controversy when the TBSE Chairperson announced that only Bengali script would be allowed in exams, sparking statewide protests. While the state government intervened temporarily, he said the issue remains unresolved, continuing to put Kokborok-speaking students at a disadvantage.

"The absence of question papers in Roman script directly hampers students’ performance in exams. The recent TBSE Class X and XII board exams already saw frustration among students due to this issue. With CBSE Class X exams approaching, immediate action is needed to ensure Kokborok question papers are available in both Bengali and Roman scripts," he stated.

Calling it a matter of fairness and equal opportunity, Pradyot urged the Union Minister to act swiftly to rectify the issue, emphasizing that the future of thousands of students depended on this decision.

"I expect a prompt and positive response to this urgent concern," he concluded.