AGARTALA, Feb 3: Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manik Debbarma on Saturday threatened to ‘retaliate’ if the Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) tried to force students to write the Kokborok paper in Bengali script.
On Friday, opposition leader Animesh Debbarma had demanded the removal of TBSE president Dhananjoy Gonchowdhry for allegedly instructing exam supervisors to file FIRs if any student writes answers in Roman script for the Kokborok paper during the upcoming board examinations scheduled to start from the first week of next month.
Gonchowdhury, however, rubbished the allegations but said the board is not well equipped for proper evolution of Kokborok paper if students write answers in Roman script.
Related Posts:
“How many FIRs will you file Mr Choudhury against our students? There will be consequences to your behaviour ? Don’t forget that whenever language and script are imposed, there is retaliation”, the Tipra Motha chief said in a Facebook post.
He warned, “East Pakistan became Bangladesh because West Pakistan tried to impose Urdu on Bengali-speaking people there. You should support the rights of our students and not try to bully them. The students should have the option to write in both Bangla and Roman scripts in the TBSE exams”.
“I had a meeting with centre in-charges on January 29 and 30 where I exhorted them to seek police protection in case there is trouble near exam centres,” Gonchowdhury said, adding that the board is not well equipped for proper evolution of Kokborok paper if students write answers in Roman script.
“Last year, some students had written their Kokborok paper in Roman script, but they were not evaluated properly. We are bound to act under the guidelines of the state’s education department”, he said.
Meanwhile, Twipra Students’ Federation vice-president Jhon Debbarma has lodged police complaint against TBSE president for allegedly violating the rights of students by forcing them to write the Kokborok paper in Bengali script.
However no FIR has been lodged yet. A copy of the complaint has been submitted to the Tripura Human Rights Commission, officials said.
Around 40,000 students will appear in TBSE-run Madhyamik exam starting March 1, while 34,000 students will sit for the higher secondary exam. (PTI)
