–Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura

Agartala, June 16, 2021: The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC)’s newly elected council has decided to accept any communiqué in the Kokborok language for official work. The decision was taken to popularise Kokborok and remove the language barrier in communications between the government officials and indigenous people.

The Additional Chief Executive Officer of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), Khumulwng issued a memorandum where it said that Kokborok was declared as an official language of Tripura with effect from January 19, 1979, through Tripura Gazette notification.

“In order to popularize Kokborok as an official language and for better communication between TTAADC administration and mass people in general any application written in Kokborok must be entertained by all offices in TTAADC,” the memorandum copy stated.

Expressing happiness on the decision taken by the new council within hundred days of forming the TTAADC, TIPRA chairman and member of district council Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman wrote, “Inside 100 days we have ensured that Kok Borok can be used for official communication for the Govt in the council. We are trying our best to change a system that has been insensitive to our sentiments. 1st step was to write the Council Bhawan in Kok Borok… more will follow.”

The TTAADC administration earlier changed the inscription of Council Bhawan (Kok Chap Nok) from Bengali to English.Earlier, Deb Barman had announced to donate his one salary to fight the novel Coronavirus and use the fund for other developmental work.

TIPRA and the Indigenous National Party of Twipra (INPT) had recorded a landslide victory in the tribal council election held recently, winning 18 of the 28 seats for the 30-member council.