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Hans India
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Tripura students' body fights for Kokborok
Tripura: The Twipra Students' Federation (TSF), an indigenous Student body of Tripura, launched an indefinite strike demanding for the adoption of the Roman scripture for Kokborok. Kokborok, the primary language of Tripura's indigenous communities, was first recognized as an official state language in 1979 for the first time under the two commissions set up by Legislator Shyama Charan Tripura and Linguist Pabitra Sarkar. But disputes over its script remain unresolved. Hundreds of TSF and Youth Tipra Federation (YTF) activists gathered at several parts of Agartala, calling for the immediate recognition of the Roman script as Kokborok's official writing system and postponement of the Class 10 and 12 Kokborok exams until the issue is resolved. The controversy over script reignited last year, when TBSE (State board) chief Dr Dhananjoy Gonchoudhury instructed all the examination center to permit only the Bengali script for writing Kokborok. TSF in-charge and YTF General Secretary James Debbarmacritisisedthe State Government for consistently ignoring the demands of the indigenous people for over five decades and failing to respect the linguistic preferences of the community. Kokborok serves as the lingua franca amongst the tribes of Tripura. To maintain this linguistic balance, the language must be accessible in the script that is most widely used. A survey conducted in 2019-2020 by the Directorate of Higher Education, Government of Tripura, found that only 6 out of 6649 students chose the Bengali script. Similarly, a 2021-2022 survey found that just 4 out of 9147 students used the same, showing that 98% preferred the Roman script. These findings highlight the need to implement the Roman scripture for Kokborok to protect students' rights, promote literacy, and preserve Tripura's linguistic and cultural heritage.
Indian Express
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Tripura BJP treads cautiously as TIPRA Motha wing threatens statewide shutdown over ‘insult' to Pradyot Kishore
Tripura's ruling BJP on Thursday appeared to play down ally TIPRA Motha's claims that its founder had been insulted by the Gomati district magistrate by refusing to meet him, and accused the Opposition CPM and Congress of trying to win brownie points out of the issue. BJP state spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty said, 'The Congress and CPM are trying to give political colours to a recent undesirable incident between Pradyot Kishore Debbarma and Gomati district magistrate and are trying to gain brownie points over the issue. They are making self-contradictory statements and trying to confuse people to malign the state government on social media.' Chakraborty's comments came as a surprise as tension between the BJP and TIPRA Motha was rather high in the last few days, especially during the shutdown observed by the Youth TIPRA Federation (YTF), the tribal party's youth wing, in Gomati district against the alleged insult to Pradyot Kishore Debbarma and Tripura ADC Chief Executive Member Purna Chandra Jamatia. The YTF observed the shutdown on June 2 and kept the Gomati district magistrate's office locked, drawing criticism from the CPM and Congress as the Motha's protest took place amid a prevailing flood situation. Chakraborty's comments also came a day after the YTF threatened to scale up protests. 'If no action is taken against the DM, we will launch a statewide agitation next week. We will announce details of our agitation ahead of launching it,' YTF President Suraj Debbarma told reporters on Wednesday. Political observers had assumed the BJP would take a stern stand, especially since it doesn't need TIPRA Motha to maintain the majority in the Assembly. The party has 33 MLAs in the 60-member House. TIPRA Motha, which has 13 MLAs, had served as the principal Opposition party for nearly a year since the 2023 Assembly elections, after which it switched sides and joined the state government. Chakraborty singled out Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman and a 'few others' and said Chief Minister Manik Saha had already asked the chief secretary to investigate the Gomati issue. He further said the chief minister would talk to Pradyot once he returned to the state. The BJP spokesperson said the saffron party, TIPRA Motha and the IPFT were committed to working collectively for the state's development. He condemned what he said were online attempts to create communal sentiments. Stating that the BJP-led state government is working with people from all communities, religious groups, and sects, Chakraborty urged the people to 'stay cautious' about provocateurs. Asked about the YTF's agitations, Chakraborty said the association was free to protest, but urged everyone to keep faith in the chief minister. His comments are considered crucial in the aftermath of the YTF agitation which took place after a 96-hour deadline for the government to take action against the Gomati district magistrate expired. A large number of netizens criticised the YTF agitation that took place while thousands have sheltered in relief camps. Many others supported the right to protest. CPM MLA Chaudhury, who criticised the Gomati district magistrate's refusal to meet Pradyot, also termed the YTF action of locking up the office undemocratic and illegal. 'People suffered a lot due to the agitation…,' he said.
Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Disrespect' towards Pradyot Kishore: Tipra Motha youth wing shuts down govt offices in Tripura's Gomati district
The Youth Tipra Federation (YTF), the youth wing of royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma's Tipra Motha, Monday went ahead with its shutdown of government offices in the Gomati district. The YTF is protesting against the alleged disrespect shown towards party supremo Pradyot Kishore and Purna Chandra Jamatia, Chief Executive Member of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, when the duo went to meet the Gomati district magistrate in his residence and were turned back at the gate Sunday. The Tripura Police made adequate arrangements to tackle the agitation and deployed thousands of security personnel. Hundreds of agitators attempted to breach security barricades and engaged in scuffles with the police. 'There will be deployment of nearly 1,000-2000 police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel. Besides, we have been given civilian officers and experienced officers from the police headquarters. Our primary objective is to ensure that no one interferes with any official duty. We are trying to ensure less inconvenience for the public. For this, we have separate arrangements for traffic,' said Souvik De, Additional Superintendent of Police, a day before the shutdown. Pradyot Kishore attended an event in South Tripura Sunday and was travelling to Agartala in the West Tripura district. On his way, he reached out to Gomati District Magistrate T K Chakma, whose residence is in Udaipur, which is on the route to Agartala. However, the Tipra Motha leader, who was accompanied by Jamatia, was allegedly denied entry by the security guards at the gate. Pradyot told journalists that he had been trying to get in touch with the DM regarding some administrative issues, but his phone calls had not been answered. The YTF condemned the incident, sought action against the DM and declared a shutdown at all government offices in the Gomati district. YTF President Suraj Debbarma stated on Sunday that if the Tripura government does not take action on the issue, the agitation will spread to other districts of the state. Tipra Motha is a ruling ally in the BJP-led state government.
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Pradyot Kishore denied audience with Gomati district magistrate; TIPRA Motha and CPM condemn him
TIPRA Motha, the Tripura BJP's ruling ally, on Monday condemned the incident in which Gomati District Magistrate Tarit Kanti Chakma allegedly denied an audience to its founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma when he arrived at the official's residence without an appointment on Sunday. While Motha's youth and student organisations sought action against the district magistrate and warned of strikes at all government offices in Gomati, the Opposition CPM termed the DM's action 'unacceptable' and 'condemnable'. Pradyot was en route to Agartala after an event in South Tripura when he went to T K Chakma's residence at Udaipur, accompanied by Purna Chandra Jamatia, Chief Executive Member of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), which is ruled by Motha. Pradyot told reporters later that he had been trying to contact Chakma but his phone calls were not picked up. 'I didn't come for any of my personal work. There were some issues of Ampi and other areas of Gomati district that I wanted to talk to him about. I have been trying to talk to him for one month. If he doesn't want to meet, what can I say?' he said. The Gomati district magistrate has not officially commented about the incident. The Youth Tipra Federation (YTF) said civil servants were expected to cater to the needs of the public 24×7 and that the Gomati district magistrate had failed to live up to this expectation by turning away Pradyot and the TTAADC chairperson. 'We don't want such a DM in Tripura. We request Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha to dismiss this district magistrate at the earliest,' YTF leader Prashamit Debbarma said. The tribal youth organisation also said it would launch a statewide movement and stall work in all government offices as a sign of protest unless Chakma is transferred out of Gomati district immediately. It also claimed Pradyot had been trying to contact him for several weeks to take up some issues related to government work but in vain. Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury of the CPM said in a social media post, 'DM, Gomati's behaviour with two public representatives is not at all acceptable and condemnable. Dereliction of duties as a public servant and sheer arrogance.' Pradyot Kishore's appeal Meanwhile, Pradyot urged everyone to be united and refrain from targeting any community for the action of a single person. 'No doubt you might have some anger in your mind that he (Gomati DM) didn't meet nor talk. That's a different thing. Many people say something about the Chakma community. I want to tell you something: connecting a person's action with the entire community will be wrong. That DM could be Bengali, Tiprasa, Debbarma, Jamatia, Hrankhawl, Muslim, Christian or Buddhist. That was his personal action. Please do not associate it with a community. Today when we need to have a united approach, I think that blaming any community or religion will not be good for us,' he said in a video posted on his Facebook page. Pradyot added that many Chakma people supported him and that he had supported them when they faced racial discrimination in Delhi. 'Whenever something wrong happens, when our people are killed in Bangladesh, I have supported them. A man's action should not be used to tarnish an entire community. And I want to tell my people: kindly don't attack the whole community for one mistake of one person. This is my thinking. If you feel that I am showing weakness by saying this, I am not showing weakness. From a king's family, thought should be big and heart should be big,' he added. Later, Pradyot expressed concern over illegal immigration and warned that illegal immigrants could decide the election outcome in 2028. 'You (people) have heard that the home minister and the Supreme Court said that illegal immigrants don't have the right to stay in India. I have been saying this for the last 10 years I have also filed an NRC case. The case is still with the Supreme Court. This is very important because today Rohingya and Bangladeshis are not only coming here but they are getting voter IDs and ration cards.' 'These people will decide who will be our MLAs, MPs, and chief minister in 2028. We should not allow this. So, I ask all my MLAs to talk to SDMs, BDOs, and DM in their respective areas to know who are getting ration cards illegally, who are sitting illegally and who are trying to become voters of India illegally. The day when they become voters, they will play with our future, they will play with your children's future. This is not the time to fight, it is time to unite to stop all these illegal Bangladeshis. We need to save India and Tripura. We need to stop them from getting illegal cards. For this we need to be one,' he added in the Facebook video.
Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Tipra Motha youth wing protests against construction of embankment by Bangladesh on River Muhuri, spies role of China and Pakistan
Youth Tipra Federation (YTF) – the youth wing of the Tipra Motha – held a protest rally opposing the construction of an embankment by Bangladesh near the international border in South Tripura district on Monday. The rally started from Belonia township and went up to the Bankarbazar area close to the border, where it was stopped by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel. The protesters claimed that Bangladesh has constructed an embankment on the River Muhuri within 150 yards of the international border in violation of the 1974 Indira-Mujib pact. They also claimed that another embankment had been illegally built by Bangladesh and added that all this was being done at the behest of Pakistan and China. The protesters raised slogans against Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of the interim government in Bangladesh, for claiming that Northeast India was landlocked and projecting Bangladesh as 'the only guardians of the ocean' in the Bay of Bengal. Speaking to reporters, YTF leader David Murasingh said, 'We gave Bangladesh its independence. Tripura's demography has changed due to that as well. Lots of lands belonging to Hindu Bengalis are still lying there (Bangladesh)… While terrorist attacks are being launched on Indians (at Pahalgam) in Kashmir on the western frontier, Bangladesh is creating an embankment by violating international border agreements right along the border on the eastern frontier. This is a threat to us.' The protesters raised slogans against Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of the interim government in Bangladesh (Express Photo) Citing the alleged attack on actor Saif Ali Khan by a Bangladeshi infiltrator in Mumbai last year, Murasingh said, 'They (a Bangladeshi national) stabbed him (Saif Ali Khan), trying to kill him… they are becoming terrorists. They come to Tripura, Kolkata, Assam, etc. After attacking, they try to return to Bangladesh. We want to warn that this wouldn't continue for long.' Murasingh also claimed YTF activists alone will be enough to reclaim land in Bangladesh that belonged to the erstwhile royal kingdom of Tripura. '… Tripura's land like Chittagong, where the Indian Tricolour was flown for three days after Independence, will be reclaimed. This land was given to the then East Pakistan by forgery. Indigenous and Hindu people are being tortured, raped there. There are no human rights,' he said. Later in the day, Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma took to social media and wrote, 'Today at Belonia, Tripura thousands of our Warriors were stopped by the BSF otherwise the illegal construction by Bangladesh would have been demolished. These are the youth of our Tiprasa all we need is a green signal, rest we will handle!'
