The Tipra Indigenous Students Federation (TISF), the student wing of TIPRA Motha Party (TMP), which is Tripura’s main opposition party on Monday blocked road and rail routes in various parts of the state to show protest against the Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE)’s decision of not allowing tribal students appearing for the Kokborok language papers to write answers in the ‘Roman’ script.

The blockade begins from Monday morning with a large section of agitators of TISF gathering infront of the Chief Minister’s residence here at Agartala Banamalipur, while many others were seen picketing in various parts of the state to disrupt vehicular movement along the National Highways and train movement. The pickets burnt tyres to block roads and show their protest.

Over 15 agitators, who were raising a slogan seeking ‘Roman’ script for Kokborok language in the upcoming board exams of Madhyamik and Higher Secondary of Kokborok language infront of the CM’s residence, were detained by the police.

According to the report, protestors raised road blockades in as many as 33 locations in eight districts, while trains were stopped in three spots as part of their scheduled road and rail blockade program for an indefinite period to press for the demand.

On the other hand, the delegates of BJP-IPFT on Sunday evening met the Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha in his official residence in connection with the script issue of Kokborok. The BJP State Secretary, Devid Debbarma, who among other delegates were present in the meeting said that the Chief Minister had assured that the students appearing in the board examinations will not face any problem and the government is sympathetic to the students.

He also stated that the Chief Minister Dr Saha has already stated the issue in the last Assembly session and sent a letter to CBSE requesting to allow both Bengali and Roman script for Kokborok, and in the case of TBSE, it has already been clarified.