Context:
About 12 members of the Twipra Students Federation (TSF) were detained for staging a protest at the entrance of the Tripura Assembly to press for their demand for the use of the Roman script for Kokborok in textbooks and for official work.
A majority of the tribes in the State speak Kokborok, which has been recognised as the second State language after Bengali.
The Roman Script
The Roman script, also known as Latin script, is a writing system that uses the letters of the Latin alphabet. It is used to write many languages in Europe, Africa, America, and Oceania.
- How it originated?
- The Roman script originated from the Greek alphabet, which was modified by the Etruscans and then the Romans.
- Letters
- The early Roman alphabet had 23 letters, but the alphabet changed over time as the language developed.
- For example, the letter “I” was split into “I” and “J”, and the letter “V” was split into “U”, “V”, and “W”.
- How it is used?
- Roman script is used in many languages, including English.
- It is also used in bilingual volumes, such as Sanskrit literature, where the original text is in Roman script and the translation is in another language.
- Gravestones & Monumental Capitals
- Roman script is used in gravestones, where the letters are chiseled or sandblasted.
- Roman script is used in monumental capitals, which are large capital letters inscribed on stone, such as on monuments.
Why Roman script for Kokborok?
- Accessibility
- The Roman script is compatible with the modern technology and digital platforms.
- Educational Opportunity
- Students may find writing easier in the Roman script, which will help them in widening their educational opportunities.
- Preservation
- Use the Roman script could preserve the language in a familiar form widely utilized.
- Cultural resources
- Spread indigenous literature as well as indigenous cultural resources would be promoted.
Kokborok
Kokborok is a language that appears in textbooks in Tripura, India, and neighboring areas of Bangladesh. It is a Sino-Tibetan language that is spoken by the Borok people, also known as Tripuris.
- What is Kokborok in textbooks?
- Kokborok textbooks may include lessons on vocabulary, grammar, and language learning.
- Kokborok textbooks may also include literature, such as prose and poetry.
- What is the origin of Kokborok?
- The word “Kokborok” is the combination of words “Kok” and “Borok”. “Kok” means “verbal” and “Borok” means “people” or “human”.
- The first written form of Kokborok was the Kokboroma Ang Tripura-Vyakaran Grammar, which was made in 1897 by a Muslim scholar known by the name Doulot Ahammad.
