Tipra Motha delegation meets Tripura CM, demands timely tribal council polls

A delegation of the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), an ally of the BJP-led coalition government in Tripura, met Chief Minister Manik Saha and demanded timely election to the autonomous district council, a party leader said on Thursday.
The present five-year tenure of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) expires on April 18.
“A five-member delegation of our party, headed by TTAADC executive member Rabindra Debbarma, met Saha at his residence on Wednesday and discussed several important issues,” TMP spokesperson C K Jamatia said at a press conference.
He said the delegation urged the CM to ensure that the TTAADC elections are held before its tenure expires.
Debbarma said the delegation also submitted a memorandum to the CM to press for the adoption of the Roman script for Kokborok language, which he said was crucial for the overall development of the mother tongue of most tribal communities in the state.
“The CM appears to have softened his stand on the Roman script demand and we hope that Saha will take a realistic step on the issue”, he said.
Debbarma said the CM has exhorted the delegation to meet the chairpersons of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) in Delhi to introduce Roman script for Kokborok language.
“After consultation with party founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, a party delegation will shortly visit Delhi to meet the heads of CBSE and ICSE for adoption of Roman script for Kokborok language”, he said.
The TTAADC has already introduced Roman script for Kokborok in schools under its jurisdiction, while students in state-run educational institutions are allowed to write the subject in both Bengali and Roman scripts, he added.