At least 20 people, including five security personnel, were left injured in Agartala on Wednesday during an agitation by TISF to demand a Roman script for the state’s indigenous Kokborok language. The violence came a week after the Roman Script for Kokborok Choba (RSKC), an umbrella organisation of 56 tribal cultural and social organisations, had threatened to launch an “aggressive movement” if their demands were not met. To press for their demand, TIPRA Indigenous Students Federation (TISF) – the student organisation of Tripura’s main Opposition party TIPRA Motha — took out a rally from North Gate of Palace Compound and headed towards the Governor’s House in North Zone Wednesday. However, they were halted by multiple police barricades in front of the Circuit House and later a delegation of leaders went to meet the gubernatorial head. Since the Governor was unable to meet them, the delegation eventually submitted their demands to the secretary of the Governor’s Secretariat and returned to hold a discussion with their supporters. After the discussion, they said that they are not satisfied with the Governor’s refusal to meet them and said they wanted the issue resolved effectively. The protesters also demanded Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, Tribal Affairs minister Bikash Debbarma and others to come to the protest site and assure them of effective steps to introduce the Roman script in Kokborok language. A heated exchange of words soon broke out between the protesters and the security personnel which quickly escalated to brick pelting from a section of the agitators and the police bursting tear gas shells and firing water cannons at the agitators. Police officers present at the spot, including West Tripura Superintendent of Police Kiran Kumar, Additional SP (Urban) Souvik Dey and others, were seen trying to convince the protesting leaders to withdraw the agitation. The police were, however, unable to quell the protests. Speaking to indianexpress.com, West Tripura SP Kiran Kumar said the police action was necessitated to bring the protesters under control since they declined to budge from the busy VIP Road connecting the state secretariat with the city. “The protestors wanted to hold a march before going to the Governor’s residence which we refused to permit but they started it anyway from Astabal Ground and thus we had to stop them near Circuit House,” Kumar said. He added, “We tried to end the impasse but the protesters started pelting stones and tossing beer bottles at the police which left five of us, including a Tripura State Rifles (TSR) jawan, injured. The protestors tried to break the police barricades and we had to take action to bring the situation under control.” The SP admitted that the police fired tear gas shells at the protestors and that one of the shells hit a woman on her chest which left her injured. However, he said the protestors are giving out an inflated number of injured protestors. The police are now in the process of registering a suo moto case into the incident and have booked seven protestors. “Those who threw stones and tossed beer bottles at the police will be identified based on videographic evidence,” the police said. The protest continued till the evening when Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) Chief Executive Member (CEM) Purna Chandra Jamatia reached Govind Ballabh Pant (GBP) Hospital to visit those who were injured. After meeting the injured, Jamatia said, “The movement was peacefully held for a Roman script for Kokborok language. Those studying in colleges, universities were assaulted by the police without any provocation. It’s a condemnable incident in a democratic state. TISF leaders and supporters didn’t come with weapons or didn’t engage in any violence. It’s the failure of the state government and we hold the government responsible for this.” In an oblique reference to the police firing on anti Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters at Madhabbari in West Tripura in 2019 where eight persons sustained bullet injuries, Jamatia said such “attacks on Tiprasa (tribals)” have occurred even in the past and are still happening and said he suspects they will continue. However, he said TIPRA Motha will continue to demand a Roman script for Kokborok language and said if “peaceful movements are attacked, extensive agitations would be held”. Shortly after the violence, TIPRA Motha supremo and royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma tweeted saying the police action was an “excessive use of force”. “This is excessive use of police force on unarmed students! And all this could have been avoided if the Honourable governor could have met them for 2 minutes from his hectic schedule. But I am told that the governor is always busy,” Pradyot tweeted. Opposition leader Animesh Debbarma said several protesters, including women, are undergoing treatment and some of them are in a critical condition. Debbarma said, “We demand a detailed high-level inquiry on the attack perpetrated by the police on the students. We want the CM, who also holds the Home portfolio, to constitute the inquiry.” He further said, “Students in protest must be informed, announcements should be made and proper information should be disseminated before any action on the protesters. It’s a shameful incident for our state. The government should write to the CBSE board to introduce a Roman script for Kokborok.” He also said the movement for a Roman script for Kokborok language is legitimate since students, mostly studying in English medium schools, find it difficult to adapt to a different language all of a sudden. Debbarma also questioned the intent behind the “sudden police action”. Reacting to the issue, BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya told indianexpress.com, “Those against Indianness are involved in the demand for a Roman script for Kokborok. The issue was discussed in the Assembly. The CM responded. Discussions may be held on introduction of any Indian script for the language but no discussion can be held on any foreign script. Tripura kings used the Bengali script too. The King who last ruled Tripura used Bengali as the official language. Not accepting this script tantamount to inciting violence. What’s the logic behind using Roman script for the language? We feel many people and institutions who don’t want peace might be involved in this.” Kokborok is the lingua franca of a majority of 19 tribal communities of Tripura. While the language has a long history, has recognition as an official language of the state as per the three language policy and has acceptance among different other tribal communities of the state, it is yet to have its own script. Till now, Bengali or Roman scripts are used for writing the language and since the first BJP-led government was formed in 2018 here, there has been a push for introducing Devanagari or Hindi script, even as political parties, students, language activists and cultural workers are up in arms saying the move would not be tolerated as it would disturb the language dynamics in the region.
