KOKBOROK
1. Context
Union Home Minister Amit Shah ruffled feathers in the Northeast by suggesting that the Devanagari or Hindi script be introduced for oral languages in the region, and that Hindi be made compulsory till Class 10 there. Now, an incident at a school is threatening to revive the row in Tripura
2. About Kokborok Language
- Kokborok is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Tripura people in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura, as well as in some neighbouring areas of Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the Indian states of Assam and Mizoram.
- It is the native language of the Tripura community and holds significant cultural and historical importance for them
- The primary speakers of Kokborok are the Tripura people in Tripura state, India. However, there are also speakers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, as well as in some areas of Myanmar, Assam, and Mizoram.
- Kokborok is integral to the cultural identity of the Tripura community. It is used in their traditional songs, dances, and rituals, and it plays a vital role in preserving their cultural heritage.
- Kokborok traditionally did not have a script of its own, and the language was primarily spoken. However, efforts have been made to develop a script for the language, and today, it is written in the Bengali script in India. The Kokborok script, created in the 1970s, is also used to a limited extent
- Kokborok has a long history and is recognised as the official language of the state as per the three-language policy, but it does not have a script. While Bengali or Roman (English) script has mostly been used to write Kokborok
3. Efforts on Kokborok Language
- Kokborok was first recognised as the official state language of Tripura in 1979, when the first Left Front government was in power.
- The government set up two commissions under former legislator Shyama Charan Tripura and linguist Pabitra Sarkar to decide the script for it
- Their reports were made public and while both Commissions gave a mandate in favour of the Roman script, including the Sarkar Commission which was instituted by the Left Front government, the latter didn’t implement the Roman script and chose the Bengali script, while keeping options open for Roman as well.
- While the Left Front government voiced its preference for the Bengali script, an organisation called ‘Roman Script for Kokborok Choba (RSKC)’ opposed saying most tribal groups favoured the Roman one
4. North Eastern States and their Languages
Mizoram
The Mizo language or Mizo Tawng belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family. During British rule, Christian missionaries who visited the Lushai hills introduced a Mizo alphabet based on the Roman script. The first alphabet was devised in 1894, by Reverend J H Lorrain and Reverend F W Savidge, and the script came to be called ‘A Aw B’.
Manipur
- Manipur has the Meitei Mayek or Manipuri script, which is around 2,000 years old and is recognised by the state government.
- As per Mutua Bahadur of Mutua Museum, the language can be seen in coins dating back to the 6th century
- While a stone inscription found in Khoibu village is said to be the earliest epigraphic record of the Meitei script, it has evolved over the years, with different groups even squabbling over the same.
- The original script that was 18 letters is now a 36-letter script, having remained so since the 17th-century regime of Meidingu Pamheiba, it is believed
- However, by the time of The Manipur Official Language Act, 1979, Bengali script had taken over, with the Act defining Manipuri language as “Meiteilon written in Bengali script and spoken by the majority of Manipuri population”
- Since 2005, the Manipur government has been trying to revive the Manipuri script, re-introducing it in schools and making it part of the course at university level.
Arunachal Pradesh
- The case of this Northeast state is different. The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) admits that the numerous tribes that make up the state do not have a script of their own, but remains against any imposition of Hindi.
- AAPSU leaders say while Hindi is already a bridge language of sorts between the many tribal communities of the state, enforcing it “through an official Act” would also stir language tensions there. He cites the official language movement in the 1960s in Assam as a lesson
- During a recent UNESCO survey, around 33 languages of Arunachal were identified as endangered and four as critically endangered
Assam
- Given that Assamese script is used widely and commonly in the state, there are no apprehensions about introduction of Devanagari here. However, there are many other linguistic groups in the state like the Bodos, Rabhas, Misings, Tiwas, Karbis, whose languages are taught either till Class 6 or, in case of some, till Class 10
- While reiterating that Hindi or Devanagari script debate isn’t an issue in Assam, All Assam Students’ Union chief Samujjwal Bhattacharyya had said during the Hindi language row last year:
- “Literary bodies of languages should decide the script issue. From our side, we want that all tribal and ethnic languages be developed. We are in touch with all the literary bodies of Assam.”
Source: indianexpress
