Torch Rallies Erupt Across Tripura Over Kokborok Script Debate

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, December 19, 2025

Tribal student organisations across Tripura on Thursday staged torch rallies to protest recent remarks by Chief Minister Manik Saha on the script of the Kokborok language, reigniting a long-standing and sensitive linguistic debate in the state.

The protests were led by the Twipra Students’ Federation and the Tipra Indigenous Students’ Federation, with rallies organised in Agartala and several other parts of Tripura. In the state capital, demonstrators marched from Swami Vivekananda Maidan through key areas before assembling in front of the Tripura State Museum, raising slogans in support of their demand.

The agitation followed the Chief Minister’s observation that adopting an indigenous script for Kokborok could help strengthen its case for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Tribal bodies, however, viewed the statement as a challenge to their long-standing demand for official recognition of the Roman script.

Kokborok, the most widely spoken tribal language in Tripura, has remained at the centre of controversy for decades over the choice of script, with repeated disputes surfacing even during board examinations. Addressing the gathering, TSF leaders alleged that the community had been denied its linguistic rights for nearly five decades and warned of intensified protests if the issue remained unresolved.

Student organisations representing various tribal communities extended support to the rallies, reiterating their call for recognition of the Roman script and meaningful dialogue. Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman also joined a torch rally in South Tripura, lending political weight to the protest.

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