Agartala, February 09, 2024: A student organization in Tripura has announced an indefinite blockade of national roads and railways from February 12 to press for their demand of using Roman script in secondary and higher secondary examinations conducted by the state board.

The TIPRA Indigenous Student Federation (TISF), which represents the indigenous community, has accused the Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) of going back on its promise of allowing both Bengali and Roman scripts in the board exams.

According to a TISF leader, TBSE President Dr. Dhananjay Gan Chowdhury had assured them a few days back that students could write their answers in either script, but later changed his stance and said that only Bengali script would be accepted.

The leader said that this was a violation of the 2020 education policy, which gives students the option of learning in their regional language. He also alleged that the state government was not implementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s project of promoting regional languages and cultures.

He said that TISF would not call off the blockade unless they receive a written commitment from the TBSE to use Roman script in the board exams. He added that only vehicles associated with emergency services would be exempted from the blockade.

The use of Roman script has been a contentious issue in Tripura, where the Tipra community has been demanding official recognition of their language, TIPRA Motha, which is written in Roman script. The community claims that Roman script is easier to learn and more accessible than Bengali script, which is the official script of the state.