Tripura Minister Ratan Lal Nath stated that the state administration was working to add the Kokborok language to the Constitution’s Eighth Schedule. The Constitution of our nation recognizes 22 different languages. Adding Kokborok to the Constitution’s Eighth Schedule is our top objective. Speaking during the primary ceremony to commemorate the 46th Kokborok Diwas at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan in Agartala, Nath stated, “It’s our demand.”
“No initiative was taken to develop the language before 2018,” Nath said, subtly criticizing the former Left Front government. To promote the Kokborok language, we gave Gandacherra the name Ganda Tuisa and Baramura the name Hatai Kotor. One can now even pursue a doctorate in Kokborok, he added. “A society is gone if its mother tongue is eradicated. More than any other language, our mother tongue allows us to express who we are. Our prime minister is prioritizing the mother tongue because of this,” Nath continued.
According to Nath, among other things, they have employed the language for the Teachers’ Eligibility Test and created 22 positions for Kokborok instructors in colleges. He added that 1,163 schools in Classes 1–5, 133 schools in Classes 6–8, 115 schools in Classes 9 and 10, and 65 schools in Classes 11 and 12 are teaching Kokborok. Currently, the language is being studied by around 10,000 students.
