Tripura Government Accelerates Kokborok Language Development with Expanded Teaching Programs

Tripura's Chief Minister Manik Saha highlighted the government's commitment to promoting Kokborok, the tribal language of the state's indigenous communities, on the occasion of the 48th Kokborok Day. Since the BJP took office in 2018, educational initiatives have expanded significantly, with Kokborok now taught across primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools, as well as through a dedicated department at Tripura University.

The government has published over 60 books on the language and plans to release both a pocket dictionary and comprehensive reference work. Meanwhile, ongoing debates persist regarding whether Kokborok should adopt Roman or Bengali script. Spoken by approximately 8.8 lakh people - roughly 24 percent of the state's population - Kokborok belongs to the Tibeto-Burman language family and represents the cultural identity of nine tribal communities in Tripura.