On February 21, 2026, during a state language conference in Tripura, Union Home Minister Amit Shah firmly dismissed calls to recognize the Roman script for the Kokborok language, terming it a foreign script and unsuitable for official use.
Shah emphasized that the Centre will not adopt a foreign script for any Indian language and underscored the importance of promoting indigenous scripts to strengthen cultural identity. He advised that using the mother tongue and its traditional script would better support children’s upbringing and cultural roots.
The issue had become a point of tension as tribal community members had been pushing for Roman script recognition for Kokborok. Shah’s statement effectively quelled the current controversy and reaffirmed the government’s stance on preserving local scripts.
If you’d like, I can also provide a concise summary or translation of the original article in Bengali.
