Agartala, Jan. 19: The 38th Kokborok Day was celebrated across the state today through cultural programmes, seminars and rallies.

Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council chairman Ranjit Debbarma raised the demand for inclusion of Kokborok in the Eighth Schedule.

Speaking at a seminar at the council headquarters in Khumlung town in West Tripura district today, Debbarma said every language needs "official support and patronage" to survive and flourish. "Kokborok has made sufficient progress in terms of written literature and versatility in linguistic usage to qualify for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule," he said.

He rued the non-usage of Kokborok in official papers and in Assembly proceedings. "Most of the records and correspondence are only in Bengali and English. It is imperative in the interest of Kokborok that it is used in administrative, legislative and judicial matters. There was a time till the late 1970s when it appeared that Kokborok would die. But the recognition accorded to it on January 19, 1979, as an official language saved it," said Debbarma.

He deplored the lack of patronage for the language by princely rulers. "King Bir Chandra Manikya (1862-1896) was the last ruler who could communicate in Kokborok. But his son Radhakishore Manikya (1896-1909) issued a series of circulars to promote Bengali at the cost of Kokborok. No king after Bir Chandra knew or could communicate in Kokborok," he said, adding that it was the Jana Siksha programme launched by former chief minister late Dasharath Deb in December 1945 which started making people aware of the language.

Debbarma condemned the role of successive Congress governments in Tripura for opposing the growth and usage of Kokborok. "In the state language act of 1964, the Congress government headed by Sachindra Lal Singh recognised only English and Bengali as official languages of the state and no mention was made of Kokborok," he said.

He said the Congress government (1972-1977) led by late Sukhamay Sengupta had arranged to have a script devised for Kokborok but little was done to introduce it as medium of instruction.

Attributing the revival of Kokborok to the first Left Front government under late Nripen Chakraborty, Debbarma said though the rules of usage had been introduced in 1999, it was this government that extended recognition to Kokborok as official language.

He said Kokborok is being studied in 318 of about 5,000 schools and there is a certificate course on the language in Tripura University. "Plans are in place to introduce a masters degree in Kokborok in Tripura University. But more must be done at the official level to ensure development of the language," said Debbarma.

Minister for school education Tapan Chakraborty and sports and youth affairs minister Shahid Chowdhury presided over colourful programmes and rallies in Agartala.