Agartala, March 22: The Twipra Students' Federation (TSF) has expressed a positive response to Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha’s call for conclusive discussions on the ongoing script controversy surrounding the Kokborok language.

However, the student body clarified that the indefinite strike, currently ongoing across the state, would continue until the government provides a concrete commitment to resolving the issue.

Speaking to the press in Agartala, TSF Vice President John Debbarma stressed that the strike would not be called off without firm assurances from the state administration.

“We welcome the decision of Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, who has appealed for conclusive talks on the script debate. We want the people of the state to know that we are also happy to join the table of talks. However, we have planned a mass gathering and peaceful protest on Monday,” Debbarma said.

Debbarma informed that the protest is scheduled for Monday at Swami Vivekananda Maidan, from where the demonstrators would march to the Circuit House in Agartala.

Since Friday, TSF activists and volunteers have been staging road blockades at various locations across the state, bringing vehicular movement on major highways to a halt.

Inter-district connectivity has been severely impacted, leaving thousands of commuters stranded. Although railway services in the northern parts of Tripura continue to operate, connectivity in the southern regions has been disrupted due to the protests.

According to sources in Tripura Police, some blockades were cleared following police intervention, but several key routes remain obstructed.

“In some areas, blockades were withdrawn due to police action, but in certain locations, protestors are still not allowing vehicle movement. Compared to Friday, the number of protest sites has reduced, but disruptions continue,” a police spokesperson told The Assam Tribune.

Reports also surfaced alleging vandalism by TSF members, including the obstruction of ambulances and hearse vans.

However, Debbarma refuted these accusations, saying, “I was present at multiple protest sites, and there have been no reports of such behaviour. Emergency services have always been exempted from the purview of the blockade.”

The TSF’s protest received political backing from Tipra Motha Party (TMP) founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman, who visited the protest site in Agartala on Friday.

When questioned about his decision to support a protest against the state government, despite his party being a part of the ruling coalition, Debbarman said, “No alliance is bigger than the community. The students are protesting to gain approval for learning their mother tongue in the script they are comfortable with. The Kokborok question papers should be set in both Bengali and Roman scripts to ensure a level playing field for students who have been taught in the Roman script from the beginning.”

The issue was also raised in the Tripura Legislative Assembly during the ongoing session on Friday. Rebel-turned-MLA Ranjit Debbarma and Forest Minister Animesh Debbarma drew the Chief Minister's attention to the matter during zero hour.

Responding to the concerns, Chief Minister Saha assured that the government is actively considering the script issue as part of a tripartite agreement.