Agartala, Tripura, March 21 (HBTV): Activists affiliated with the Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF) on Friday blocked roads along national highways across the state bringing the inter-district connectivity of the state to a grinding halt.

The independent students’ body called an indefinite strike to press for its four-point charter of demands. The demands include immediate implementation of Roman Script in all educational institutions; recognition of roman script as an official system for Kokborok language; rescheduling the exams for the Kokborok board exams; and permanently ending any policy that advocates for Bengali script for Kokborok learners.

According to the TSF, in the recently held Tripura Board conducted Madhyamik exams, question papers of Kokborok were framed in the Bengali script which the students felt was unfair for students who were primarily coming from English medium schools and had learnt Kokborok using Roman script from the primary level.

Kokborok is a language of the Indo-Tibetan family and is the second most widely spoken language in Tripura. For the majority of the tribal communities in Tripura, Kokborok is the medium of communication and mother tongue.

Speaking about the blockades and strike, TSF General Secretary Hamalu Jamatia said, “All national highways are blocked. Apart from that, in Jolaibari under South Tripura district, our activists have staged a blockade at the railway tracks as well.”

He said that the students would continue to protest until the government initiates talks with them.

According to police sources, within West Tripura district blockades were imposed in as many as seven locations namely Brajendra Colony, Gabordi, Champaknagar Sadhu Para, NIT first gate, Khowai Chowmuhani and Circuit House in Agartala.