Kokborok in Tripura University

By Sekhar Datta

Agartala, Apr 30 : The Tripura Central University will introduce full-fledged MA course in Kokborok language.

Since the 1996, the university has been teaching Kokborok as a six-month certificate course but growing demand for development of the language persuaded governor P.B. Acharya to call for its study at the university level.

A final decision was taken at a recent meeting of the university and the course will be launched from the current academic year.

Disclosing this in an interaction with reporters yesterday, Tripura Central University vice-chancellor Anjan Kumar Ghosh said preparation for the launching of MA course in Kokborok was on.

"The syllabus has been finalised and now printing of books is on. We will hold an admission test for the course as well as for other courses between May 25 and 28. Leading experts in Kokborok, including poets and authors in the language will be inducted as teachers till final appointments are made," said Ghosh.

Tripura's leading poet Ratul Debbarma expressed his "joy and satisfaction" over the varsity's decision: "It will boost the study and process of learning of the language."

However, a script controversy - whether to use modified Bengali or Roman script - still remain unresolved.

Chief minister Manik Sarkar made it clear in a tribal literary conference in 2013 that the majority view of tribals on the script would be accepted by the government.

"Till finalisation of a single original script the language will be studied in modified Bengali script devised by late linguist Kumud Kundu Chowdhury," said Debbarman.