When I first began developing Yapiri, I knew from the beginning that the script itself was never the final destination. It was always meant to be the foundation — the visible, usable entry point into something much larger.

That larger vision is what I call the Yapiri Project.

Yapiri Script is the first and most visible part of this project. But the full umbrella reaches far beyond letters and keyboards. It encompasses language preservation, educational integration, technological advancement, community empowerment, and — looking further ahead — the thoughtful integration of our language with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

This is not a small ambition. It is a generational one.

The Philosophy Behind the Umbrella

A language does not survive on script alone. It survives when it is spoken, written, taught, documented, celebrated, and adapted to new realities. The Yapiri Project exists to support every layer of that survival and growth.

We are not trying to freeze Kokborok in time. We are trying to give it the tools to thrive in the 21st century and beyond — while remaining deeply rooted in the land, culture, and identity of the Tiprasa people.

“A script gives a language a home on paper and screen. The full project gives it a future in the world.”

— Yapiri Project vision statement

Current Foundation — What We Have Built

Before looking forward, it is important to acknowledge what already exists:

This foundation was built in a remarkably short time, but it was always designed to support something bigger.

What’s Coming Next — A Phased Vision

Phase 1 · 2026–2027

Strengthening the Core

Complete Unicode proposal work, expand educational materials, grow the poem and story archive, improve keyboard and font based on community feedback, and deepen presence in Tripura schools and cultural organizations.

Phase 2 · 2027–2028

Education & Institutional Integration

Develop full curriculum resources, teacher training modules, and partnerships with educational bodies. Explore official recognition pathways and create printed primers and storybooks in Yapiri.

Phase 3 · 2028–2030

Technological Expansion

Build additional digital tools — mobile apps, input methods for more platforms, and early language technology resources. Prepare the language data foundation needed for future AI work.

Phase 4 · 2030+

AI Integration & Language Modernization

Thoughtful, community-led integration of Kokborok with artificial intelligence — translation tools, voice interfaces, educational AI, and digital archives — always guided by cultural values and linguistic accuracy.

The Four Pillars of the Yapiri Project

1. Preservation

Documenting, archiving, and making accessible the rich oral and written heritage of Kokborok. This includes traditional stories, songs, proverbs, and historical knowledge — now increasingly recorded and shared in Yapiri itself.

2. Education

Creating the materials, training, and institutional pathways so that future generations can learn to read and write Kokborok with pride and fluency. The script is the gateway; education is how it becomes living heritage.

3. Technology

Building the digital infrastructure our language deserves — fonts, keyboards, apps, and eventually more advanced language technologies. Technology should serve the language, not the other way around.

4. Future Readiness — AI & Beyond

Preparing Kokborok to participate fully in the emerging technological landscape. This means high-quality language data, community-controlled tools, and ethical approaches to AI that respect our values and identity.

Principle Technology serves the people. Any AI or digital tool developed under the Yapiri Project will be guided by Tiprasa values, linguistic accuracy, and community consent — never the other way around.

The Role of Community

None of this can happen without the active participation of Kokborok speakers. The Yapiri Project is not something being done for the community — it is being built with and by the community.

Writers, teachers, students, elders, developers, cultural workers, and everyday speakers all have essential roles. The more people who use, critique, create with, and advocate for Yapiri, the stronger and more sustainable the entire project becomes.

This is why community engagement — through the website, social media, poem competitions, feedback, and direct collaboration — remains central to everything we do.

Why This Matters

Languages around the world are disappearing at an alarming rate. Many indigenous languages lack writing systems, digital tools, or institutional support. Kokborok is fortunate to have a living community, a rich oral tradition, and now — through Yapiri — a script of its own.

The Yapiri Project exists to make sure that this advantage is not wasted. It exists so that our children and grandchildren can not only speak Kokborok, but read it, write it, study it, create with it, and see it respected in the digital world.

It exists so that our language does not merely survive — it thrives.

A Long-Term Invitation

The six weeks it took to build the initial script were intense and focused. The work of the full Yapiri Project will unfold over many years and will require many hands and many voices.

If you are a Kokborok speaker, a teacher, a writer, a developer, a cultural worker, or simply someone who cares about the future of our language — there is a place for you in this vision.

The script was the first step. The umbrella is open. The road ahead is long, but we do not walk it alone.

Together, we are building the future of Kokborok.

Join the Yapiri Community →