DA Editorial Desk | Dhruba Deka
Every language needs two things to survive: speakers who use it and a way to write it down. Kokborok, the mother tongue of the Tripuri community and the most widely spoken tribal language in Tripura, has the first in good measure. On the second, it has remained stuck for decades in a debate that is as emotional as it is unresolved: should Kokborok be written in the Roman script or the Bengali script? The question may sound technical, but it touches identity, education, politics and the future of a language that carries the memory of a people.
The background is worth recalling. Kokborok has been recognised as an official language of Tripura alongside Bengali and English, a status that reflects its importance as the language of the state’s original ruling dynasty and a large share of its tribal population. Historically, the Bengali script has been used to record Kokborok, including in chronicles of the old royal court. In schools and government publications, it has remained the practical medium. At the same time, many tribal organisations, writers and students have long argued for the Roman script, pointing to its ease of use in digital media, its closeness to the sounds of Kokborok and its role in the written traditions of several other Northeast languages. Others warn that changing the script would sever links with existing literature and complicate education.
Both sides have a point, and that is precisely why the debate has dragged on. Supporters of the Roman script argue that Kokborok has sounds that Bengali script does not capture neatly, and that a script already familiar to young people from English-medium education and mobile phones would make learning easier. Supporters of the Bengali script note that thousands of children and adults already read and write it, that textbooks and literature exist in it, and that an abrupt change could leave a generation behind. A third group suggests that a dual approach, allowing both scripts for a transition period, might be the practical path.
What is troubling is not the disagreement itself but the cost of delay. Languages do not pause while committees deliberate. Across the world, tribal and minority languages fade when younger generations stop seeing them as useful in school, work and the digital world. Many Kokborok-speaking children now grow up speaking Bengali, Hindi or English at school and among friends, with the mother tongue confined to the household. If textbooks are scarce, teachers untrained and literature hard to find, the language slowly loses its place in the minds of young people.
Education is the front line. Mother-tongue instruction in the early years improves learning and confidence, a principle endorsed by national education policy. Yet its implementation in Tripura has been uneven. Schools need trained Kokborok teachers, well-designed textbooks, and reading material that children actually enjoy, from stories to comics to digital content. The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council and the state education department must coordinate, rather than work at cross purposes, and provide adequate funding for such efforts.
The digital sphere offers both a threat and an opportunity. If Kokborok cannot be typed easily on phones, searched online or used in apps, young people will drift towards languages that can. Standard keyboards, fonts and translation tools, supported by universities and technology volunteers, can place the language firmly in the online world. Local newspapers, radio and television can also give Kokborok greater visibility through news, music and storytelling.
On the script question itself, the way forward lies in dialogue rather than decree. The government should convene linguists, writers, teachers, student groups and community leaders to examine evidence, hear every view and work toward a broad understanding. Whatever decision emerges, it must protect existing literature, provide training for teachers and allow adequate time for transition. Imposing a solution without consent would deepen mistrust, while endless delay would serve no one.
Finally, language protection is not only the government’s job. Families, community organisations and cultural groups can sustain Kokborok by speaking it at home, celebrating its songs and folk tales, and encouraging young writers.
A language is more than a means of communication. It holds a community’s stories, humour, beliefs and sense of belonging. Tripura has the chance to show how a diverse society can protect its linguistic heritage while moving forward together. That opportunity should not be lost to indecision.