17/12/2025
WHY INDIGENOUS TRIPURI SCRIPT OVER ANY OTHER SCRIPT?
Opinion: It's high time to talk about indigenous Tripuri script that we already have, that has been developed and also about our original Tripuri script Koloma, as the choosing, finalising & implementation of the use of indigenous Tripuri script is the only ultimate permanent solution of the ongoing script issue.
Our former & present linguists and scholars already knew that this ongoing issue will arise one day, and to solve this issue they had already developed & given the well defined script for Tripuri language. Some of them include "AIMA SCRIPT" by Sir Hiralal DebBarma, "KOKBOROK RIKTHAIMA" by Alindralal Tripura, "KOKMARI SCRIPT" by A DebBarma. And ofcourse not to forget about our original Tripuri script "KOLOMA" which was developed long centuries back since the origin of Tipra dynasty.
AIMA SCRIPT:
The Aima script was developed by Hiralal Debbarma 20 years back and the unicode of it was officially launched in 2015. He said he created Aima because he felt the need of it, and to fulfill the script void in Tripuri language.
KOKBOROK RIKTHAIMA:
Kokborok Rikthaima the script developed by former writer & literaturist Alindralal Tripura in the year 1940, to write Tipra language Kokborok.
KOKMARI SCRIPT:
Devloped by A DebBarma taking inspiration from Aima script.
KOLOMA SWITHAI:
The native, main and original Tripuri script, once used in all administrative and religious ritual worship of Tipras and was also used to write the royal chronical of Tripura Kingdom. Which traces it's origin right from the 1st century AD. But unfortunately due to lack of it's usage due to Sanskrit and Eastern-Nagri script influence in mid 14th-15th century the usage of Koloma declined and hence got lost with the course of time. But the Koloma script still lives on among the Tripuri religious Ojamas or heads, in their prayer rituals & kokmwtai (spell yantra writings). Which is why if researched properly the Koloma script definitely can be revived & restored back to it's full glory even in today's time.
Therefore one among these above mentioned script should be finalized to read & write Tipra language Kokborok. Through a script finalization meeting & discussion of the Tripuri scholars & linguists this finalization process & choosing of script can be done at earliest.
Now what are the questions that arises:
1. Will adopting native Tripuri script retrograde the development of Kokborok language by 10 years or more?
Ans: No, adopting native script will only make Tipra/Kokborok language develop & progress to it's fullest. We can see the crystal clear example of this from our Meitei brothers. Meiteis too lost their script during 18th century but after coming in late 20th century with constant effort by their scholars and linguists they too revived their script and implemented the reading & learning of it in schools & colleges and hence the outcome of it Meitei language today stands as the second most developing language of India. Therefore adopting native script only enhances & uplifts the development of the language.
2. Is it possible to learn & popularise new script in this current time?
Ans: Yes, it is very much easy to learn & popularise a new script in the current time. As this is not the era where we don't have access to mass communication. This is the digital era, the era of media, internet & mass communication. Therefore to popularise the finalized script, it can be done within just a sort of seconds. And also as to learn a skill, or any art form the dedication and consistency is very much required. So if we truly make our mind with full determination we can surely learn our own new Tripuri script, just like an unfamiliar skill can be learnt if there is full determination & consistency. Nothing comes easy so if the required amount of effort & hardwork is being put in, then surely anything can be acquired.
3. Why native indigenous script over any other script?
Ans: If we look around advanced & progressive communities like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, all of them have one common thing, i.e, they value their own self-made & self developed things, which is why right starting from their apps, products, services all of it they make use of their own creation and they are proud of it. Similarly they value their script, as it is known Chinese script "Kanji" has more than a thousand letters still they use it proudly and proficiently in all aspects of their day to day lives, they don't give it up in opt of easy letters like using "Roman letters". So why should we? Similar to Chinese, Japanese too have a vast number of scripts, infact Japanese have three sets of scripts known as Hiragana, Katagana & Kanji developed in different eras, still they uses all the three equally. Which clearly shows how much they value their script & language, and their love of one's origin. Likewise, Koreans too use their script developed by their ruler, known as "Hangul script" and they are proud of it. Today all these mentioned communities are even performing computer programming in their own native script without the help of Roman. Which shows they are self-reliant. Therefore if they can we can too, we can finalise & start practicing & using our own native script, so that the future generation won't feel the void of script like we felt.
In conclusion, it is the native indigenous Tripuri script, that will ultimately solve the permanent issue of script.
